Bitter Sweet Love
by busujimasaeko
Summary: Set after ep11 of the anime. Saeko has fallen in love with Komuro. Sadly, he is in love with Rei - or so she thought.  The dilemma of two  confused  people in love, and the people around them witnessing all the drama. Chap6 is rated M, just to be safe.
1. 01 Salty Tears

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Summary: Set after chapter 11 of the anime. Saeko felt that she and Komuro shared something special until reality hit her that Komuro and Rei are in love. She felt confused and foolish, not knowing that Komuro is even more confused and lost than she is. The drama of two people in love.

About the story: (1) my first attempt at a Saeko – Takashi pairing, (2) drama/hurt/comfort, (3) i don't own high school of the dead and lastly (4) warning: if you are a Rei Miyamoto - Takashi Komuro fan, then i am not sure you'll like the story, but if you wish...you can read and give it a try. ^^

* * *

**Chapter 1: Salty tears**

Saeko waited patiently. She knew that someone was inside Komuro's room. She felt a pang in her chest and this brought her to hug the katana in her hands, as if holding it closely will help her feel better. But it didn't.

What made her hold her ground was his promise.

She smiled bitterly and stood quietly outside his door. Truth be told, she doesn't know what she was doing there. She remembered the idea of sharing with him the joy of having received a very special present from Takagi's father. But as to why she needed to share it with someone and why that someone was Komuro was something she could not figure out. The only possible answer is that she is closest to him than any of their colleagues due to their brief rendezvous the day before. Well, the mere acts of kissing and having your chest held by a man is, in itself, physically being close. She blushed profusely at the thought.

But truth be told, it was more than the physical closeness. It was more on the idea that Komuro has broken her barriers and made her share her deepest secret to him. The secret that even her father or any of her friends doesn't know.

Recalling Komuro's words, Saeko felt her cheeks warm up to a faint blush. But then again, boys are impulsive. That promise may have been a result of pity. For him to see her, a strong girl, look so fragile and weak may have been a heart breaker for him. Or probably it was out of desperation. For if Saeko will not wield her sword to fight Them, then she and Komuro should have been dead by now.

What Komuro said was not actually a declaration of love. It was simply a confession of admiration, which may mean that he liked either the strength of her character, her skills in kendo or maybe her physical appearance. But it never was an actual confession that he liked her in a romantic way.

However, if she was to be honest with herself, she wished that he meant it in a romantic way. Humans don't see what they don't want to see. Even Saeko, as a human being, has the tendency to shut her eyes in the things that she wants to ignore. But now, reality is right in front of her – face to face. Komuro is in love with another girl and his heart already belonged to someone else. And right at their very moment, they are alone inside Komuro's room doing god-knows-what.

She was about to turn and leave but she didn't have the opportunity because she heard Rei's voice, which later turned to moans (of pleasure – she assumed).

What she heard glued her to her position. Saeko was still lost in her own thoughts and was caught off guard by Rei's sudden appearance. Feeling like she needed to explain, she immediately became defensive and said "I sensed that someone was already inside, so I decided to wait. I did not hear any voices."

Saeko noticed that Rei looked really surprised and a bit worried, which immediately changed to that of resignation.

Rei's lips curved up to a modest smile and said "sempai, you should talk to Takashi. That would make him happy".

Saeko furrowed her brow a little, not quite understanding what Rei said. But she acted cool, just like she always do and responded, "acknowledged".

"By the way...Would you quit referring to me as sempai? In reality, we are the same-" Saeko continued but was cut off.

Somehow, being referred to as sempai made her feel too old to be with Komuro. Please bear in mind that just like any normal girl, Saeko is confused. At the back of her mind she knows that she has a chance to be in a romantic relationship with Komuro because she feels that Komuro likes her. But her pessimism and insecurity keeps on crushing this thought.

"Don't say that. I don't want to think about it" Rei responded and left.

Rei had clearly misunderstood.

She sighed and waited until Rei turned the corner and was out of her sight. She never liked arguing. She had said her piece and that was enough.

"Saeko-san?" a voice shook her out of her thoughts.

When she turned, she found Komuro peeking outside of his door. He opened the door wider and stepped outside. "What are you and Rei talking about?"

Saeko, being a trained fighter, is a very observant person. Since childhood she has learned to study her surroundings and her opponent before striking. Knowing your advantages and the opponent's weakness is the key to winning any battle. A losing battle must never be fought, unless you have no other options.

Thus, a few seconds of observation has made her realize that Komuro looks worried and that there was a hint of guilt in his voice. So she put on the "sweet-traditional-Japanese-girl-look" and smiled modestly.

First is not to make him worry – "Nothing special, I was just asking her to stop calling me sempai. I believe I requested the same thing to you a few days ago" she said tilting her head a bit to the right and smiled.

She noticed that Komuro's tensed shoulder sagged down a bit. He somehow relaxed. Then he blushed and seemed to feel uncomfortable. "_His expressions are quite interesting to watch" _she said to herself.

"So, is there anything that you wish to tell me?" he said.

Saeko decided that there was no point in telling him about the sword. Somehow, she felt like he wouldn't care. So she said, "I just wanted to thank you for what you did the other day. It saved both my life and my sanity. Though I must say, your method of convincing me is quite – ummm...disturbing. Not what I expected from you, but effective enough" she doesn't know if her intention was to humiliate him or make him even more uncomfortable than he already is. Seeing him feeling awkward, a bit lost and nervous has elated her senses. Though, it may just be jealousy and irritation talking.

He scratched his head nervously and both his ears and cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry about that. I was just – "

"Yes. You just wanted to save both our lives right?"

"Don't misunderstand Saeko-san. I meant what I said back then"

"Which part of it?"

"That I admire you and..." he stopped talking. His cheeks blushed even more and the words seemed to be caught in his throat. He coughed and turned his head to the side in an attempt to hide his tomato red face. Steam was literally coming out of his nose and ears.

"That's enough Komuro-kun. I just wanted to say thanks and I already did." She said it a bit too quickly than she intended. She was starting to feel awkward as well, so she decided to end the conversation before it resulted to that.

She gave a curt bow before turning to leave. She stopped walking after a single step when she felt Komuro wrapped his arms around her and buried his face on her right shoulder. The act was quick and subtle. Gentle but somehow desperate.

His breath on the back of her neck was warm. She swallowed hard and attempted to move forward, but Komuro tightened his embrace.

"Let's just stay like this for a while Saeko" he whispered.

She obliged.

He was crying. Feeling his tears falling onto her shoulders made her hold onto the katana tighter. Now it was her who felt lost and helpless.

The other day, he made her happy. For almost 2 whole days, she believed that he liked her and she started falling for him too. The time may be too short for her to say that she is falling for him, but they are in a world that is about to end and no one knows if they will live to see the next day. So she allowed herself to dwell in that little world with him. But since they arrived at Takagi's home, she realized that she had been foolish. He was clearly in love with Rei – seeing the way he looked at her and that how, just a few minutes ago, they were alone inside his room doing whatever they are doing. It was difficult for her to accept reality, but she has to.

"I am not Rei" she lowered her head and whispered bitterly.

"Saeko...please" he pleaded.

She bit her lip. What was she to do?


	2. 02 Accepting the Bitter Reality

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Summary: We as readers have witnessed Komuro and Saeko's bitter sweet moment in the last chapter. But it is not only us. Hirano, Takagi, Shizuka and even Rei has seen this scene as well...

About the story: (1) my first attempt at a Saeko – Takashi pairing, (2) drama/hurt/comfort, (3) i don't own high school of the dead and lastly (4) warning: if you are a Rei Miyamoto - Takashi Komuro fan, then i am not sure you'll like the story, but if you wish...you can read and give it a try. ^^

* * *

**Chapter 2: Accepting the Bitter Reality**

Scene: Saeko and Komuro are having a conversation in the hallway outside of Komuro's room. Saeko was about to leave when Komuro reached out and embraced her. She just stood there, allowing him to hold onto her with both her hands still clutching the katana that Takagi's father gave her.

Question: How would you react when you see two of your friends sharing a passionate moment together in the middle of the hallway at broad daylight?

If it was Hirano, he will hide and watch. And that is what he is doing at that very moment – peeking through the gap of his semi-open door. Luckily, he is staying beside Komuro's room so he can clearly see everything – from the time Komuro grabbed Saeko-san from behind and held her close. But at the same time, he was unlucky because he has an untimely visitor – Takagi-san. He only had a few seconds of opportunity to watch because as soon as Takagi-san caught him, he pulled his right ear and gently close the door.

"Why? Aren't you curious to know what's happening between them?" Hirano asked while rubbing his sore ear.

A vein twitched in Takagi's temple. If there's one thing she hated the most, it is stupid people. And right now, Hirano is acting like one.

"We've been with Saeko-san for how many days now and you still don't know her?" Takagi said forcing herself not to shout. "As a swordsman, her senses are very keen. I'm sure that she sensed you when you peeked out. And do you think the two of us can handle an angry Saeko-san?"

Hirano thought about it for a moment and nodded. There was no point arguing with Takagi-san because she is always right.

Takagi put her hand on her chin and thought hard. As far as she can remember, Komuro has always been in love with Rei. Even when she turned him down and became Hisashi's girlfriend, Komuro never severed their friendship and continued to follow her around. What has changed?

It was probably is the time when Komuro and Saeko-san had some time alone. To make a fair assessment, Saeko-san is pretty, always calm and cool and graceful when fighting zombies with her sword (wooden or not), _though she was not sure if the last characteristic does count_.

She sighed and looked at the door, as if she can picture Komuro still embracing Saeko-san. She was able to have a glimpse of the scene Hirano was describing. It looked as if Komuro desperately held a very disinterested Saeko-san. But taking into consideration that she has never been able to clearly know what Saeko-san is thinking, given that she always seem to have a cool demeanour, then she will not be able to conclude that it is a one-sided love for Komuro. She just has to observe more. For now, she will let them be and the stupid fat ass on the floor would have to stay put as well. So she approached Hirano and engaged him into a conversation about fire arms that they can take from his parent's private collection. This elated him and the situation outside completely forgotten.

Takagi and Hirano were willing to ignore it but Rei was not. Rei was at the very end of the hallway when Komuro grabbed Saeko-san from behind and hugged her. She immediately hid herself so as not to be seen.

Her whole body was trembling and it seems as if her knees will not be able to bear her weight so she leaned against the wall for support. She somehow knew that Komuro has developed feelings for Saeko-san. But this has not prepared her for the pain of seeing him embracing Saeko-san.

She did say that she wants to be with him even if he falls in love with another girl. But that was a complete lie. No girl is willing to share her man with another. But somehow, she felt guilty for dumping Takashi only to take him back when Hisashi is gone so she said those words.

Rei did not see how Saeko-san reacted, but that didn't matter. The mere actions of Takashi were enough to cause her unbearable pain. Her chest felt heavy and her mind buzzed in confusion and denial. She knew she has been selfish and cruel to Takashi, so she does not have the right to be angry. And that is why it was even more painful for her.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She put a hand on her lips, trying to suppress the impeding sob. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Shizuka-sensei.

"Let's get out of here Miyamoto-chan."

Rei allowed herself to be dragged away by Shizuka-sensei, letting the tears fall freely from her eyes while accepting the bitter reality. As soon as they reached the kitchen, she cried in Shizuka-sensei's arms or (ehem) chest, with the hope that this will lessen the pain and the sadness.

Shizuka-sensei never said a word. She doesn't need any explanation. She may seem oblivious about what's happening around her but not when it comes to love. She considers all of them as friends so she does not want to take any sides. But right now, Rei needed her so she was there.

Lastly, where are Alice and Zeke? They are currently playing on the grounds. Kids and dogs have other important matters to worry.


	3. 03 Muddled Thoughts

Bitter Sweet Love

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

**

* * *

**

**03: Muddled Thoughts**

Saeko has always been reserved, even in dire situations, she has remained her cool. However, in her current situation, she was finding it hard to gather herself. She didn't move and allowed Komuro to hold onto her. She breathed in deeply and tried to calm her loudly beating heart and her chaotic thoughts.

"Okay, let's talk about this Komuro-kun...but not here and not like this. Will you please let me go?"

Komuro was taken aback by the sudden change in Saeko's voice, which was merely a whisper but sounded stern. He slowly moved his arms away and quickly turned towards his room. He left the door open and sat on his bed, slightly ruffling the white sheets as he did so.

Saeko followed him, not forgetting to gently shut the door behind her. She placed her newly acquired katana on an upright position, leaning beside the door. She gently closed her eyes and steadied her breathing before she walked towards the window, choosing to look beyond the horizon instead of sitting beside him, though she knew he was expecting her to.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Saeko began, not bothering to turn around to look at him.

Silence...

It's not that Komuro didn't know what to say. It is more like, he has a lot on his mind that he wanted to talk about but doesn't know how to articulate it well. He has always been a guy who plans ahead before getting into any situation. But the series of events that transpired had caught him too much off guard that he is now stuck in a circumstance wherein he can't see any way out.

Komuro turned his gaze towards the window, where Saeko was currently standing with her back facing him. The faint light outside was illuminating her slender figure, rendering him speechless so he just stared in awe. He longed to touch her again...seeking the comfort of her arms and the warmth of her embrace. Then again, it was him who held her not her. All she did was stand lifelessly while he poured his feelings out in the open. He seemed desperate and now that it is over, he felt really embarassed.

He then focused his gaze on the opposite wall, trying to compose what he needed to say. For now, he needed to explain what happened between him and Rei while they were alone in his room.

A blush crept on his cheeks and he violently shook his head.

"_Why the hell do I have to tell her that"_ he asked himself.

"_Because I do not want her to misunderstand" _a voice at the back of his mind responded.

The moment he heard Saeko-san talking to Rei outside his room, he started to worry. Minutes have not yet passed when he and Rei were just doing something (ahem) dirty. Saeko-san was the last person that wanted to know about what perverted thing he is doing with Rei. Well, to be honest, he doesn't want anyone to find out, but it being Saeko-san made things a hundred times worse.

Why? ...Because he felt guilty that when he kissed Rei, he can't help but remember the sweet taste of Saeko's lips. When he straddled Rei and touched her chest, the feeling of holding Saeko's breasts was all he could think about. In that brief moment with Rei, his thoughts were plagued with the time he shared with Saeko. And confused him.

But how will he explain that to her?

"Komuro-kun?"

Her voice surprised him. "It's Rei..." he blurted out in panic.

"Oh" Saeko said turning to look back out the window, her eyebrows twitching in annoyance.

This brought back the memories of when their little group first met. Even back then, it was obvious to Saeko that Rei and Komuro had a connection...

xxxxx

"_Don't come!" she heard a shriek and quickened her pace towards the source of the voice, noting that the doctor is running closely behind her._

_When they arrived at the room, she wanted to immediately come to rescue the girl but found it unnecessary. Because at that very moment, the girl picked up what looked like a chainsaw and hit the zombie on the head, cutting through its thick decaying skin and spraying blood everywhere. She felt pity at how helpless the girl looked and wanted to comfort her, but then again, there were more pressing matters that required her attention – which was the growing number of zombies in front of them. This didn't bother her one bit, on the contrary, it excited her._

"_Let me take care of the right" she shouted. She didn't let it show, but she was surprised to see the others run forward to attack with her._

"_Rei" the boy called his companion._

"_I'll hold the left" the red head said and proceeded using what seemed to be wooden stick with a sharp metal edge for a weapon. She violently attacked one of Them, causing its neck to break and fall in defeat with just a single blow._

"_Oh?" Saeko was quite impressed. She has been running around the school for a long time and all she saw were students shrieking in fear or running in terror. But this girl seemed strong and brave as she was. _

_She then turned to see the guy jumped, holding a baseball bat high up into the air and smashed the head of one zombie with a loud thud. The zombie hurtled on to the wall and hit its head before falling face forward._

_Saeko found the two people really interesting. Now it's time for her to get serious. She turned to the zombies in front of her and with lighting speed, hit their heads with her wooden sword before landing gracefully on the floor holding her weapon in front of her in a defense position. She wanted to conserve her energy, thus, the less movements the better. More blood spilled to the floor. And just as the two lifeless bodies of her victims hit the floor, a victorious and satisfied smile grazed her lips._

_She immediately scanned the room and started to relax her tensed body when she found that all were already knocked down._

_The concerned look the boy gave the red head (she heard him call her Rei) made her realize __that that boy deeply cared for the girl. Yet she somehow knew, that the feelings were not returned._

xxxxxx

Saeko sighed. She knew that Komuro liked Rei even back then. So she questioned herself why she needed to hear out what Komuro has to say. Is it because she wanted to hear directly from him the he has a relationship with Rei and that what they shared at the temple was nothing but a lust? Or is it because she was hoping that he will say that there was nothing going on between him and Rei and that they just talked?

She hated him for giving her hope, but she hated herself more for allowing herself have hope.

"Saeko-san, what I wanted to say was what happened between me and Rei..." Komuro began to speak, but when Saeko turned to look at him he found the words stuck in his throat again.

"So there is something that happened between you two?" her voice was low but lack the gentleness it usually has.

Her face was stoic but her eyes were sharp as a hawk's. It was the look when she is about to attack and it stirred fear inside Komuro. He was not actually afraid that she will physically attack him, but a fear that she might be angry. He said a simple prayer of thanks to the gods that her katana is currently by the door and out of hands. Who knows what could happen to him if his next few words angered her more.

"No. I mean yes...but actually" he was stuttering, the newly formed script completely lost.

"Which is it? Yes or no?" she asked a bit too harsh than she intended.

"Ummm...You seem upset, do you want to talk about this now?" he whimpered. He was actually asking this more for himself, as he didn't trust that he will say the right things considering how messed up he is now.

Saeko breathed out her frustration. She was unable to control her emotions and he looked really scared at the moment...this made her laugh inwardly.

"No. Let us forget what happened for now, we have other matters to think about so let us move this conversation to some other day" she said.

"So you are upset" he stated, standing up to approach her.

"No, I am not upset. But you're right, I think it will be better to delay this conversation seeing as you are not in a proper state right now."

"And why would you say that?"

"Because it seems like you do not know what to say"

"I just want to make things clear between us..."

"What exactly is between us?" Saeko asked trying hard to keep the eagerness of having her questions answered from being evident in her voice.

Komuro opened and closed his mouth like a fish, not knowing how to put it into words.

"As I said, it seems like you do not know what to say...at least not yet"

Komuro swallowed and looked straight in to Saeko's eyes "But you have an idea, right?"

The determined look in his eyes stunned her and it made her want to reveal what she is thinking. She wanted to start talking about Rei, but realized that he hasn't mentioned that his relationship with Rei was the issue. There were unexpected times when the girl's name was brought up, but it was never clearly said that it was about her. So for her to mention this now will make her look like a jealous lover or a meddlesome stranger, and she doesn't want to be either.

"Not really" she said, quickly averting her gaze and walking over to pick up her katana by the door. She hurriedly left the room, not waiting for him to utter another word.

* * *

Komuro lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling allowing his incoherent thoughts to swim through his mind. When exactly did he began to "see" Saeko?

From the start, he admired her skills – she really was a good swordsman. Then through all the battles they have been through, he have gone to trust her. She always had his back. Being around her empowered him and made him feel stronger. And now his simple crush, admiration and trust grew into something more than he expected.

He sighed for the nth time before his thoughts drifted into their first formal meeting.

xxxxx

_He scanned the room to look for any entrance where the other zombies might come to attack them. He saw the front door and went to close it. He then heard faint footsteps approaching him and turned as he heard someone speak._

"_You already know the school doctor, Marikawa-sensei, right? I'm Busujima Saeko from class 3-A." She was trying to lighten up the tense atmosphere._

"_I'm Komuro Takashi from class 2-B" he responded with a small smile._

_He stared into her meek face and smiled inwardly. Truth be told, it wasn't necessary for her to introduce herself. Everyone knows who she is due to the countless kendo championships she had won for the school. Komuro watched almost all of her tournaments and in the process had developed an admiration for the girl. He find her every strike and every movement as graceful and well orchestrated. He is drawn to look into her deep blue eyes and her face that exudes nothing but determination._

"_Busujima-san, I remember you won the national championship last year. I am Miyamoto Rei, a member of the spear martial arts club" Rei said, knocking Komuro out of his thoughts and realizing that there were other people in the room with him and Busujima-san. His cheeks flushed red when he realized what he was thinking._

"_Oh, I...I'm Hirano Kota from class B" Kota introduced himself while scratching the back of his head._

_Busujima-san smiled sweetly and said "nice to meet you." _

_That very smile made Komuro's heart skip a beat, forgetting their current life threatening situation. But he was not the only one. Komuro heard Kota gasp and saw his friend's cheeks flush...seems like he too developed a crush on Busujima-san at that very moment. He somehow felt annoyed._

xxxxx

Komuro stopped his recollection. Does it mean that from the beginning, he was attracted to Saeko-san masking it as admiration of her skills? This and a lot more questions need to be answered before the time he can appropriately converse with Saeko-san.

She is special to him and he doesn't want to break her trust. That was why he held onto her that morning, not wanting her to leave without clearing the misunderstanding. He wanted to explain at that time, not knowing what exactly to explain.

His mind was telling him that he loved Rei and that he still do but every bit of his being is saying otherwise. He has always loved Rei - when they were kids until they entered high school and even when Rei rejected him and dated another guy - he still loved Rei. That's why he found it difficult to understand his infatuation for Saeko-san. While she was in his arms, he got lost and got tongue tied amidst his internal struggle, until he was unable to control the tears that spilled from his eyes.

He felt embarrassed at how week he might have appeared to Saeko.

He then violently shook his head and he slapped himself a couple of times. He needs to calm down first and organize his thoughts. He has been through a lot already that morning and he is going nowhere with his thoughts. So he decided to close his eyes and rest on it. He will leave the thinking for another day.

* * *

A/N: Updated. I just noticed that it was raining in that episode. My apologies for the mistake.

Some of the flashbacks are with reference to episode 2 in the anime.


	4. 04 Meals, Knives and Potatoes

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

**

* * *

**

**04: Meals, Knives and Potatoes**

Komuro opened his eyes and lifted his left arm that covered his face. He had been lying on his bed for quite some time but was not able to get the sleep he wanted. He looked outside the window and saw the pouring rain dulling his view of the sky and the lavish Takagi garden. Somehow, it made him feel sad. The faint sound the rain makes as it hits the ground and the thick curtain that covers everything creates a depressing atmosphere.

They were lucky to have a place to stay to. For a day or two, their life has been peaceful while there may be others out there who are still running from Them - and it includes their parents, if they are still alive that is (he then mentally scolded himself for thinking this way).

He got up and looked at his hands. Those same hands have killed countless of humans – if you can still call them that – just to survive, not only him, but Rei, Saeko-san, Kota, Takagi and even Shizuka-sensei. He wondered if their parents have to get their hands stained as well just to live.

Again, his gaze drifted onto the rain drenched window. Everything was hazy due to the rain, but his resolve was clear, he needed to go out there and save their families. He has a lot of issues to deal with, but the life of their loved-ones are more important for now. The comfort of staying at the Takagi manor has lulled them into a false sense of security. They led comfortable lives for days, but it does not erase the reality that the world around them is slowly falling apart. It is good to just stay there and allow the adults to handle the fighting, but it just doesn't feel right.

That morning, he agreed with Rei that they will look for their parents together. He knew it is not good to be alone with Rei at a time where he is unsure of his own feelings. And he doesn't know what Saeko-san would feel about it. But he doesn't have a choice. He promised Saeko-san that they will temporarily forget what happened and talk about their issues some other time. The search for his and Rei's parents now is a good excuse to make himself focus onto something else.

He stood up from the bed and was on his way to get his shirt when he heard someone knock on his door. He opened it to find Alice-chan standing there with a sweet smile on her face.

"I am sure onii-san is hungry. Let's go down and eat" she said.

Komuro nodded and patted her head "okay, let's go Alice-chan"

He held the little girl's hand as they made their way to the dining room. He was glad that in this chaotic world, there is someone like Alice-chan that keeps the atmosphere light and happy.

When they arrived, Rei and Shizuka-sensei were arranging the table and Takagi was sitting on the corner using her laptop. Kota was standing behind her discussing something. It made him glad that at that moment, they all looked like ordinary high school students staying together at a friend's house, except that Kota and Takagi's topic are tactics and battle strategies (^^). He loved the normality of it all so he pushed his heroic plans at the back of his mind.

He scanned the room once again and scratched the back of his head. Someone seems to be missing.

"We are all helping out here because the adults won't allow us to be involved in the battle going on outside" Takagi said without removing her eyes from the laptop. There was displeasure in her voice, but he knew too well that Takagi doesn't bother at the moment as she is busy with something else.

"But everything's almost ready so you can just sit and wait for the food to be served" Shizuka-sensei said as she placed a plate and a bowl on the table in front of Komuro.

He nodded curtly and pulled the dining chair to sit down.

"Saeko-san is in the kitchen helping the cook. You can probably help finish the soup so that we can already start eating" Rei said in a cheery voice.

Everyone stopped what they were doing – Takagi's finger stopped midway from hitting the enter button, Kota put down the paper he was holding and looked at Miyamoto and Shizuka-sensei dropped the fork on the table with a clatter. These went unnoticed by both Rei and Komuro.

Their eyes locked for a moment before Komuro smiled at her, "Yeah, I guess I will" and proceeded to the kitchen.

Takagi angrily stomped her foot before continuing what she was doing. She hated his indecisiveness and felt frustrated. She swore that one of these days, she's going to have a scold him.

Rei on the other hand proceeded to put on the goblets on the table and relaxed from the forced smile she gave him. She told Komuro that it's okay if he has someone else and she will stay true to her word. She will not give her feelings up.

* * *

Komuro entered the kitchen and saw Saeko-san by the counter chopping some vegetables. She was wearing a lacy white apron over her kimono. She looked good in a kimono but she looked more adorable wearing an apron like a housewife. This made him remember the time when they were in that apartment and she was wearing nothing but an apron. The recollection caused a few droplets of blood to escape his nose but wiped it away quickly

At first, he was shocked that she was wearing only two pieces of clothing, both of which covered only her woman assets. He felt uncomfortable looking at her like that, but it seemed like she wasn't. She has always been oblivious about her surrounding and not too self conscious as other woman are. Her clothes seem to be always revealing, yet she never seem to care - as long as she's comfortable and she can move well in it.

Komuro leaned back on the door frame, folding his arms in front of him and just stared at her. Saeko-san is beautiful and she is the only one who doesn't know it, due to her insecurities.

_I wish I could make her realize how beautiful she is_, Komuro thought inwardly. His eyes softened and a smile grazed his lips.

"Komuro-kun?" Saeko-san said.

Komuro walked over to her and got hold of the knife she was holding, making their hands brush for a moment. He paused for a second before getting the potatoes and chopping it.

"Let me help you with that" he said.

Saeko also paused and looked at him before smiling, "thank you"

She walked over to the stove where the soup is boiling and began to stir it.

Komuro was surprised at how much soup Saeko was making and the volume of vegetables that needs to be cut. "Wow, are we feeding an army?" he chuckled in amusement.

"Literally...yes" she responded, "a hot soup is perfect in this cold weather"

"Contrary to your image, you really are domestic Saeko-san" he stated.

"Now, where did that come from?" she stopped stirring and turned to face him.

Komuro also stopped chopping and saw her questioning face. _Damned she's cute, _he whispered.

"What did you say?" Saeko-san said moving closer to peer into his face.

Komuro stepped back a little and with an embarrassed face said "I'm sorry."

Saeko was amused that he looked like a shy little kid. "You didn't say anything wrong Komuro-kun. I was just wondering where that thought came from"

"Oh. Well...when we were in the apartment of Saeko-san's friend, you were also cooking and preparing a meal for everyone else, while the other girls are sleeping soundly. You were like a..." he swallowed, "...a mother back then"

Saeko laughed heartily, "at least call me a sister, do I look that old?"

Thinking that he had offended her yet again, he raised both his arms in surrender saying "sorry, it's not what I meant". He forgot that he was holding a knife, and the sudden movement caused the knife to fall from his hands and onto the floor, missing his foot by an inch. The hair on the back of his neck stood up like a surprised cat and he shrieked in fear.

"There's no need for you to apologize Komuro-kun" Saeko chuckled at the girly squeal as she bent down to pick up the knife.

Komuro saw this and without thinking, bent to pick it up as well. This caused him to hit her head, making them both lose their balance. They fell to the opposite direction. But since Saeko-san have better reflexes, she was able to steadied herself using her arms and knee. Komuro on the other hand fell loudly onto the floor on his bottom.

They both burst into laughter at what happened, attracting the attention of everyone from the dining hall. They all rushed in and were confused to see Komuro by the floor and Saeko standing a few feet from him holding a sharp kitchen knife. If they weren't roaring with laughter, anyone would think that Saeko is attacking Komuro.

"Let me guess, Takashi annoyed Saeko-san because he wasn't chopping the potatoes in the right size so you snatched the knife from him and threatened to kill him?" Kota said.

Komuro, in his humiliated state grab hold of the dirty cloth that was on the floor and threw it towards Kota, hitting him square to the face "shut up!", he exclaimed.

Everyone burst out laughing. "I will get you for that Komuro!" he exclaimed and the boys ran around the kitchen like little children playing tag.

As Kota passed by the kitchen door, she tripped on Rei's foot causing her to fall back on her bottom.

"Hey!" Rei exclaimed angrily.

Everyone laughed at her and not to long after, she joined in. Komuro also stopped running and reached out a hand to help Rei stand up.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a smile.

She grabbed hold of his hand and pulled herself up. She dusted her behind. "My bottom really hurts, other than that I'm fine" narrowing her eyes at Kota, who cowered behind Takagi in fear.

Takagi pushed him away from her, "get away from me fat otaku!" she shouted. Takagi used too much force causing Kota to fall face forward onto Shizuka-sensei's (hehe) assets, earning him a resounding slap on the cheek.

Kota backed away from the three girls who currently have hands on their hips, glaring in irritation at him. He held his swollen cheek and glowered at Komuro, "this is your fault!"

The truth is, Takagi, Rei and Shizuka-sensei are all suppressing a giggle– they are all having fun at the expense of Kota.

"How is it my fault?" Komuro pretended to look offended.

"It's you throwing that dirty rag on my face that started it all"

"Well, if you hadn't made that corny joke then I wouldn't have done that in the first place"

"It was supposed to be funny!" Kota shouted, picking up a freshly pealed potato by the kitchen counter and throwing it at Komuro. He was able to dodge it, so the poor potato smashed on the opposite wall.

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped by a hundred degrees. Kota slowly and reluctantly turned his head (with a faint sound of a creaking door as he turned) to look behind him. The hair on every part of his body stood up in terror upon seeing an enraged Saeko-san with glowing red eyes. Freezing blasts of wind emanating from her skin as she held a very sharp knife. Light reflected from the knife's edge, emphasizing how sharp it is.

"Don't play with food and don't mess up this kitchen" she said in a low threatening voice.

Everyone backed a step away from her, not sure if she is still joking, just to be safe.

Kota's whole body was trembling with fear as he whimpered an incomprehensible apology.

At this, Saeko-san tilted her head to the right and smiled sweetly "just kidding" she said.

Everyone sweat dropped and started laughing again.

Yes, even Busujima Saeko cracks jokes once in a while. Though they have to get used to her jokes and they have to get to know her more so that they can clearly distinguish if it's a joke or not.

Saeko knew that the joke she made was not that funny, but then again, she is more of the serious type so she may need a lot of practice. Being with this bunch of people made her realize that she has to lighten up a bit. She is still a high school student and a teenager that should live simple happy lives. She grinned inwardly at this realization – finding amusement in the fact that she only realized this when they were in a middle of this war. They are still human after all.

Her gaze unconsciously shifted to Komuro, who at the moment was still laughing with Rei. This made her mind go back to what happened that morning. It was bizarre how their moods can shift that fast in a span of hours. She was glad that she was able to converse with him like they usually do, proving that her choice to let go of her problems for the moment was the right decision.

For now, they will both forget the complication of their situation and continue to act as goods friends. To be able to enjoy simple moments like this, she has to push back her feelings for him and will not pester him to give her any answers, knowing too well that the clarification of their relationship may cause rapture in the friendship she shared with Rei (and to some extent, with everyone else) – and Saeko doesn't want that to happen. Up until now, they are all working well as a team and she will not be selfish and destroy their newly formed bond.

Her jealousy made her selfish and irrational. But starting now, she will persevere to lock her feelings away – until the time comes when Komuro tells her directly and clearly that he loves her and that he wanted to be with her. She will neither wait, nor assume nor ask questions – knowing too well that it will be difficult for her, but also knowing that it is the only way for her to move forward and focus on their goals of surviving this crisis.

When the laughter soon died down, Alice-chan called in everyone into the dining room to eat their sumptuous lunch. They shared good stories as they eat, temporarily forgetting the waging war with the undead occurring outside the barriers of the Takagi mansion.

And for a brief moment during that sumptuous feast, Komuro's eyes drifted onto Saeko at the same time when she looked his way. Their eyes met and the few seconds when they held their gaze seemed like hours. Both longing to reach out and touch the other yet both of them fighting internal struggles and holding back their feelings.

Rei, who was sitting beside Komuro, noticed the look in their eyes. She immediately grabbed Komuro's arm and engaged him in a conversation, making him look away from Saeko. So Saeko pushed back the green-eyed monster within her and turned to converse with Alice-chan sitting beside her.

"Are you okay Saeko onee-san?" Alics-chan asked.

"I will be" she responded.

* * *

A/N: Having a good laugh with your friends is one of the best things in life. ^^


	5. 05 The Sweetest Dessert

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

* * *

**05: The Sweetest Dessert**

The meal they had was superb and what else would make it better other than dessert. It may be true that the Takagi's are really rich and has a lot of stocked resources, even food. But just like everything else, they are limited to what they already have after the outbreak and the mansion's personal chef will not risk his life just to get the ingredients he needed for a Crème Brule or a Tiramisu. Nonetheless, a pack of Hershey's Kisses chocolates tasted like a slice of heaven to Komuro and everyone else that had nothing decent to eat other than leftover food since before they got to Takagi's home.

When the bag of chocolates was laid down on the table, everyone eyed it hungrily like a pack of wolves.

"Okay, let us not get greedy and eat the whole bag. I suggest we get two pieces each and reserve the rest for the time when we leave this place. I believe this is the last bag" Takagi said intellectually.

"Wow. Is this imported from the US?" Rei exclaimed.

"Yes it is. So two pieces per person then?" Saya said.

Kota bit back a complain and just nodded yes just like everyone else.

Takagi reached out first to get her share and passed it around for everyone else to do the same. When the bag reached Komuro, he looked at the plastic bag a smile grazed his features upon seeing the label... "Hug's & Kisses", it read. He stole a glance at Saeko before passing the bag onto Rei.

Komuro loved looking at Saeko's smiling face, but her smile looked much more alluring when she had just popped a kiss in her mouth and is in the processing of savouring the sweet taste of the chocolate in every corner of her mouth.

_How delicious would the chocolate be if he tasted it in Saeko-san's mouth?_

He averted his gaze and mentally scolded himself at the thought. He then proceeded to eating his own chocolate and decided to focus on savouring his dessert, just to get his mind off of things.

Everyone was too overjoyed at the idea of eating chocolates that this simple act was left unnoticed, except of course by Saya who has decided to observe Komuro and Saeko from a distance. She will try her best not to interfere. Admittedly, she liked Komuro. But seeing as how messy it already is just by having Rei and Saeko in his life, she decided not to butt in. After all, she was a genius and getting involved into messy love triangles (square?) was not a smart thing to do.

Just as expected, 2 pieces of Kisses was not enough for each of them. Soon enough, there had been a kiss grabbing and it started when everyone stood up to leave the dining room, thankfully (you'll understand a bit later why "thankfully" ^^). Saya went over to Kota and grabbed his second chocolate, which he was reserving for later. Now, we all know that Kota will be too afraid to retaliate Saya, but this is food we are talking about. So he immediately stood up and went after Saya to get back his stolen kiss. And this is no different from the last two persons to leave the dining room – Komuro and Saeko. Saeko picked up the chocolate foils everyone left and went to the kitchen to throw it away. Komuro followed her to get a rag to wipe the table clean; the house maids have cleared the plates and glasses before the dessert was served.

"I can't believe you're domestic Komuro-kun" Saeko joked as Komuro grabbed the rag by the kitchen counter.

"Now where did that come from?" he said, faking a shocked expression and imitating Saeko's look earlier that day. (Please refer to the previous chapter ^^).

Saeko laughed. "If I remember correctly, this is the part where you said something that I was not able to understand."

Komuro blushed upon recalling what he muttered and decided to change the subject. "Ummm...I just remembered, do you still have a chocolate Saeko-san?"

"No, I ate them both. Why did you ask?"

"Well, I just happen to still have one kiss left and I was wondering if you would like to play a game with me, with this" he held up the kiss "as a price" he smirked. Now he didn't know what he was aiming to accomplish, the only thought on his mind at the moment is spending a few more time with her...because it made him happy and it makes him remember – just for a moment – that he is still a teenage boy just hanging out with his..._long pause due to thinking..._ummm...her. He was just not ready to label her yet.

Saeko placed a hand on her hip and looked straight into Komuro's eyes for almost a minute. She furrowed her brow and stared even harder. This made him break into a cold sweat in anticipation and nervousness.

"Why?" she finally spoke.

"What do you mean why?" he said, wiping his forehead dry.

"Why would you choose to play a game instead of eating it? You don't know the last time when you will be able to taste a..." she paused and thought for a moment, "oh...a Hugs & Kisses, if I remember it correctly, or any chocolate for that matter"

"I am not that much into sweets" he lied...and Saeko could tell. She just chose to go along with him just to see where this goes.

"Okay, what are the rules of the game? And why are we the only players?"

"This is actually a game to test my skills. You are by far the strongest in the team so I want to test my skills against you"

Saeko smirked, "so this more of a challenge?"

"Yes, you can think of it that way" Komuro said. He was actually pretty proud of how fast he thought of a good game.

"I will put the kiss on the window ledge" he pointed to the window farthest from them, "and we will put tables and chairs in front of us as obstacles, the first one to get the kiss and eat it wins"

"Sounds fair" she nodded and they proceeded to prepare their playing field.

"Now remember...you have to swallow it to win. Putting it in your mouth doesn't count"

"Yes, got it" Saeko responded.

They proceeded to organizing their "playing field" using some of the chairs from the dining area. Komuro then carefully placed the kiss on the designated spot and went back beside Saeko-san.

"On the count of three..." he said and bent forward, ready to run.

Saeko did the same and readied herself. She smirked, knowing too well that the obstacles were all a piece of cake.

"one, two, th..." Komuro hasn't even finished the word three, or at least that's how it appeared to him, when the blurred vision of Saeko flashed forward, jumping through the chairs and over the table to where the kiss was.

Komuro was stunned, but he brushed this off immediately and sprinted forward in the attempt to grab the kiss which was already in Saeko's hand. She was hurriedly removing the foil when Komuro reached out to grab it but was a second too late because Saeko was already able to put it inside her mouth.

Komuro, who was running at top speed, was not able to hold his momentum. So he crashed onto Saeko causing her to gasp in pain as her back hit the edge of the kitchen counter. In that split second when Saeko opened her mouth, Komuro saw the chocolate still in one piece inside her mouth and an idea popped into his head. He said _the first to eat the chocolate wins _right? Then he realized that his strongest trait that got him through his battles was not how fast or how good he is with a gun or with a baseball bat, it was his cleverness. He smiled to himself...he knows just what to do.

Before Saeko recovers from the crash, Komuro placed his arms around her waist and he placed the other hand on her cheek. He then pulled her towards him and placed his mouth on hers. For the second time, Saeko gasped in surprise at Komuro's action. The shock rendered her motionless, causing her mouth to hang open and was unable to do anything to fight back or push back.

Komuro took advantage of her semi open mouth and slipped his tongue inside. He closed his eyes and focused...he found the kiss where he last saw it, on top of Saeko's tongue. He took a moment and brushed his tongue against hers and explored the whole of her mouth, tasting the sweet remnants of the chocolate before going back to the kiss and getting it with his tongue. As soon as he got it, he pulled back, chewed the chocolate and swallowed it. Then he gave her two thumbs up saying "I win" with a goofy grin.

Saeko was still awe struck at what happened and was left rooted to her spot with her mouth hanging open. Komuro's voice _"I win"_ echoed a dozen times through her ears before she went back to reality. She blinked a couple more times to clear her hazy vision and swallowed hard to push back the lump in her throat, but was still unable to speak. She tried formulating words in her head, but was still unable to – conclusion: Komuro has temporarily paralyzed the great Busujima Saeko.

Komuro stopped grinning when he noticed that Saeko was still immobile. Then his expression turned into confusion...then into realization...then into shock and fear. He was too focused on winning against her that he was not able to think rationally before doing what he just did. At least, that was his defense.

'_Whom are you kidding?' said the voice inside his head. 'You liked it and enjoyed every bit of it'._

He punched and kicked his inner self to pulp and looked at Saeko.

"S-Saeko-san?" he called out nervously.

No response...

He reached for her shoulders and shook her "Saeko-san?"

Still no response...

Now his heart was thumping louder and his face was as red as a tomato, judging from how hot it felt. _What was he to do?_

His eyes fell on the side of her lips where there was a smudge of chocolate. This made him think of a stupid idea. But probably not as stupid as what he just did, but still...stupid enough.

Now I want to tell you all that what happened next was that _he snaked his arms around her waist to pull her closer and stared deeply into her eyes. He said, "let me do it properly this time sleeping beauty..." and passionately kiss her. The kiss was soft, gentle and sincere unlike the first one. Saeko woke up from her slumber, errr shock, and kissed him back. _

"_I love you Komuro-kun" she said in between breaths._

"_I love you too" he responded and felt her smile._

_They lived happily ever after...the end._

Sadly, that is not what happened and our story is far from over.

What actually happened was...Komuro soul almost jumped out of his body in surprise when he heard someone barge into the kitchen. He slowly turned his head and saw Saya standing there with a confused look on her face, "what the hell happened here? What's with all this mess?"

Her eyes fell onto Saeko, who by the way still has a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her lip. She eyed Komuro accusingly but chose not to say anything about the matter.

"I'm sorry for the mess Takagi-san, Komuro challenged me into a game to test his skills and these obstacles, I mean the chairs, were necessary. We'll put them back this instance" Saeko said gracefully as if nothing happened, and began picking the overturned chairs up to bring back to the dining room.

"Yes, I'll help you with that" Komuro hurriedly said and picked up two chairs and carried it outside.

Saya just stood by the door, watching the two working silently. Evidently, there was a tension between them and there seems to be an unspoken agreement to not talk about the topic, so she didn't ask anything, at least not until she is alone with Komuro.

"I told father that you wish to speak with him, he is ready for you now" Saya said as soon as they were done. "You want to discuss that you and Rei will rescue your parents, right?"

"Yes, I'll be right over" he said with a tone of finality, as if he wanted Saya to leave them alone.

Saya of course hinted that and left.

Truth be told, Komuro would choose to fight a platoon of zombies rather than be alone with Saeko now. But needs to do what he has to do and that is to apologize.

"I'm sorry for...you know...ummm..." he was too awkward to speak and too uncomfortable to say the word kiss.

"It was a game and you won. You said the first to eat it is the winner and in the end, you were the one who swallowed it first. But I must say, your means of getting your end was quite...ummm...what was the word I used?"

"Disturbing?" Komuro continued, remembering their conversation that morning.

"Yes, disturbing" Saeko said and laughed heartily. She didn't know why she was still able to laugh during these circumstances. She wasn't sure whether Komuro intended to kiss her from the beginning or if that was a spur of the moment. She wasn't even sure if it meant something for Komuro. But what certain was that she liked it and it made her remember their first kiss back the temple. It was this thought that stunned her. She wanted to ask him why he kissed her, but when she heard that Komuro will be talking with Takagi-san's father about rescuing Rei and his parents, she decided to hold her tongue. Clearly, now is not the right time to talk about these things as there are more important matters at hand.

Komuro was able to breathe normally again upon seeing her laugh, totally oblivious of the conflicting thoughts running through her head.

He bowed before turning to leave to speak with Takagi's father. He was halfway through the door when he turned back and said in a low and trembling voice, "the Hugs & Kisses was great..." and then ran off at top speed.

Saeko's eyes widened at his words, but then ended up laughing again upon realizing how awkward he must have felt when he said that and how childish it sounded.

She used her tongue to wipe the side of her lip and said to herself, "yes, it was indeed delicious."

* * *

A/N: Not really sure if there are Hershey's Kisses in Japan, it's just that I like this stuff so much...especially the caramel kisses and Hugs & Kisses.


	6. 06 Decisiveness and Indecisiveness

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

Note: A bit of Rei-Komuro pairing in this chapter...but just a bit...^^...

I really wanted to retain the T status of the status, but I felt like I have to change it to an M Rating due to some 'mature' parts of this chapter _

* * *

**06: Decisiveness and Indecisiveness**

A few paces from the kitchen and Komuro stopped running. He unconsciously looked back at the open kitchen door, where he knew Saeko-san would still be standing rooted to the spot. Probably surprised at what just happened - more specifically, at what he just did. Or probably still cleaning the mess they made as if nothing happened.

He ended kissing Saeko-san...again. He mentally slapped himself, "now Saeko-san might think that he is a pervert!" not realizing that he actually said it aloud.

"Well aren't you a pervert?" it was Saya.

"What are you doing here?"

"This is my house" she responded.

"Yeah...I guess so" Komuro scratched the back of his head, making Saya even more annoyed.

"You are more stupid than I thought! Not just that, you're also a pervert and a playboy...I really wonder why we have a leader like you."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"You are very indecisive. One moment you having oranges, then you suddenly you wanted a grape"

"I really do not understand what you're talking about"

"Geez! Do I really have to spell out everything for you?" Saya stomped her foot in annoyance. She eyed Komuro, not bothering to hide her irritation.

She decided to calm down, losing her cool at something as petty as this was not right. She breathed in deeply before continuing, "I know Rei confessed to you this morning"

Komuro blinked, it took a good minute before the memory of his conversation with Rei rushed through his brain. He wanted to ask why Saya knows but all he managed to say was "yeah".

Saya sighed in indignation, "Yeah? That's all you're going to say."

"It's just that I never realized it was a confession"

"I never realized that you are THIS stupid! You've been eyeing her for as long as I can remember, even bearing the pain of seeing her with another guy. And now that she has finally confessed that she has feelings for you, it didn't register in that small brain of yours?"

"I said it didn't, okay?"

"Well what did you do when she said she wanted to be with you? What were you thinking at that moment? Don't tell you're not thinking at all...though that may be a possibility" she added.

Komuro blushed at the recollection. It is true that he didn't realize that Rei was actually asking him to be her boyfriend. All he knows is that his mind went blank in the beginning and his body moved on its own accord. His actions were involuntary...probably because his heart, mind and body had wanted to have Rei for the longest time. Thus, when opportunity presented itself, he lunged at her to satisfy his suppressed desires for Rei.

XXX

"_...But that's why I wanted to be with you!" Rei exclaimed. _

_It was not just the words, but the way her cheeks flushed red, the desperate tone of her voice and the close proximity of her body all made Komuro want to hold onto her. And so he did. With one hand on her soft creamy legs and the other wrapped around her back, he pulled her closer and brought his face to the side of her neck. _

"_Even if you fall in love with another girl! Because I won't survive if I'm not with you!" she continued, pulling his hand to rest on her barely exposed chest._

_Komuro felt himself harden as soon as his fingers touched her fully developed chest and his already throbbing manhood brushed on her as she sat on his lap. And again, her voice was so erotic to his ear that he just wanted to do her at that very moment._

_All the feelings for Rei that he has suppressed for the longest time exploded, so he shifted his body and unceremoniously threw her on the bed, placing both his knees on either side of her waist. _

"_What's wrong?" Rei asked seeing his hesitation. _

_Komuro was surprised that she did not protest._

_His hands were on the side of her face and looking down on her, he said "I don't know if I should be happy or angry. The reasoning is too tender for my liking."_

"_Well, aren't women themselves tender?"_

_She looked so inviting and she was willingly presenting herself to him. His mind automatically shut off and the memory of wanting her and loving her were urging him to make a move on her. So without another thought, he leaned forward and started to kiss the sensitive part of her neck as his hands gently stroke her beautiful body. He closed his eyes, savouring the taste and feel of her body. He wanted to rip both their clothing savagely, but a part of him fought back and decided that it was better to take it slow._

"_Stop Komuro-kun..." a faint voice echoed in his head, followed by a blurry image of deep blue eyes..._

_However, every muscle of his body was aching to have the woman in front of him, so he brushed the distant thought away._

_He placed his lips on her, engaging her into a passionate kiss. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and guided his hand to massage her womanhood...surprising Komuro even more. He obliged and softly felt her beneath her thin lingerie. He slipped his hand in and using his index and middle finger felt around her, eliciting moans of pleasure. _

_He closed his eyes and continued rubbing her, feeling her body shiver with every touch...but when her moans became louder... the shadowy image of deep blue eyes and long flowing dark hair appeared before his eyes again. And the more Rei moans, the more the images become clear –"Saeko..." he unconsciously breathed out._

_This excited Komuro even more for a reason, so he pulled her lingerie and went down to kiss her. "Saeko..." he breathed out in between kisses._

_Whether Rei heard him, she didn't show it...and at that moment, he doesn't care._

_His hands reached up to grope at her chest, but pulled away immediately when her body suddenly jerked away from his touch. Her chest still hurts._

_Komuro opened his eyes and as the faint light cleared his vision, he felt like he was waking up from a dream. He smiled bitterly at the irony of it all - he had long wished and prayed for Rei to notice him and now that he has her, flashes of the brief moment he shared with Saeko kept on appearing before his eyes._

_He heard the sheets rustle softly as Rei pulled her lingerie up._

"_Sorry. It probably hurts. You should lie down..." he said as he sat on the edge of the bed. He looked away, not wanting to see her pained expression and at the same time avoiding the exposure of his inner thoughts._

_Seeing that Komuro wasn't looking at her, Rei stared down on the floor "I'll ask Ms. Shizuka to look at it" she muttered before walking towards the bedroom door._

_With one hand on the door knob "think carefully about the meaning of what I said" she said and walked out to leave._

_Komuro heard the door close and his eyes went to look at the rain drenched window. He closed his eyes again...wanting...and hoping to continue with the dream he was just having. And as everything started to flood his mind - Saeko's warm breath against his as they kissed, the feel of her tender chest, the loving look in her deep blue eyes, the taste of her...he suddenly snapped his eyes open..._

"_No...it is Rei...it has to be Rei..." he whispered to no one in particular._

_He has been loving Rei for so long that he is unsure how it is possible that another woman is occupying his mind...he felt scared and confused. He chose to dwell on the thought that he wants Rei because it was something that he understood. What happened on the temple was a spur of the moment, as he would like to believe. Choosing to believe that he likes Saeko-san would mean that he is not in love with Rei, which is absurd. Is it possible that he loves them both? Rei said it was okay, but will it be alright for Saeko as well?_

_He scolded himself. He was thinking of crazy thoughts... Of course it will be unacceptable for Saeko-san. _

_He knew that deciding now would mean he would lose one of them, which, he knew was something he cannot bear. But he knew that he has to make up his mind soon, or both of them would be gone...unless Rei stayed true to her word..._

_And then he heard voices outside his door, one of which is clearly Rei's and the other..._

_He immediately stood up and peeked outside his door, "Saeko-san?"_

XXX

"Komuro...Komuro!" Saya shouted.

Komuro blinked, realizing that he just drifted onto a not so distant memory and felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry I just remembered..."

"Yeah, yeah...I am not so sure I wanted to hear what you just remembered"

He blushed redder.

"Okay, I'll cut to the chase. Let's just say that I know for a fact that you are in love with Rei."

Komuro nodded.

"Let's also say that I am the smartest person around and I know that you have feelings for...ahem...someone else"

Komuro swallowed hard.

"And lastly, it is a known fact that you, Takashi Komuro, is one of the dumbest person in this mansion so I believe it is not just me who is aware of your little romantic and if I may say, perverted and lustful, dilemma"

"What do you mean by that?" Komuro said in indignation and embarrassment.

"As I said, I hate stupid people so I will not go to the lengths of detailing everything for you. Go search that chaotic memory of yours and maybe, you will find the answer to your own question..." she paused for a moment to savour the confused and stupid expression on his face.

"Anyway, what I just wanted to say is...GO MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY YOU PLAYBOY!" Saya exclaimed.

Komuro stepped back in fear.

"Geez..." she said before stomping away.

"I wish it's that easy" he mumbled before heading towards Takanagi-san's office.

* * *

Komuro and Rei will look for their parents, you're coming too right?" Saya immediately said as she entered the kitchen. She headed back to talk with Saeko just as Komuro went to speak with her father.

She thought that talking to Komuro would help solve the problem, but it just frustrated her even more. She realized that he is more oblovious than she thought. So she went to converse with the more sensible person, Saeko-san.

"Why are you asking?" Saeko-san replied, not the least surprised at Saya's sudden appearance.

"Well, I just wanted to ask" she responded averting her gaze to hide her awkwardness. Somehow, Saeko's response made her feel like she's intruding into her personal life.

Saeko laughed, "no need to feel embarrassed, and to answer your question, I do intend to come with them...aren't we all leaving with them?"

"I'm not sure... Is that the reason why you're going with them, because you expect that everyone will be coming?"

"No. The reason why I'm going with them is because I don't see myself staying safe in this mansion any longer. I believe you felt it too, the false sense of security that this place is bringing to all of us...no offense", she added "And I do want to help look for a friend's parents."

"None taken...and I do understand your point." Saya said, glad that there are other level-headed people in their group.

"But I believe there are other matters that you wish to discuss with me. It's okay Saya-san, please ask them directly" Saeko smiled sweetly.

Saya looked mildly surprised but not a split second lasted and she composed herself back together. "You and Komuro..." she stopped, unsure of how to phrase her question properly. It was a good thing that Saeko-san responded immediately.

"We are friends"

"But he kissed..."

"Yes, he did..." Saeko said meekly - her voice barely audible- before clearing her throat, "you saw that?"

Saya nodded.

"But rest assured that I have decided not to allow myself to dwell in the thought that he has romantic feelings for me" she said pushing the bitterness away and forcing herself to smile.

Saeko knew that she was unable to convince the smart girl in front of her. Saya's eyes twinkled as if attempting to see through her words. "I have no intentions of intervening with your personal lives, but I've known Komuro for a long time and he..." again, Saya trailed off. She is usually confident and composed, but talking about these matters are making her uncomfortable.

"Yes, he is in love with Rei. I know..." her voice was low and she felt a pang of pain in her chest as those words left her lips.

"Saeko-san, we have only known each other for a few days, but I consider you a...a f-f-friend" Saya said with difficulty, her cheeks red with embarrassment, "so it's okay to confide with me"

Saya felt a bit sorry for Saeko-san, who have always seemed like a loner. She knew that Komuro's indecisiveness is causing pain for both Saeko-san and Rei. She learned that Rei was comforted by Ms. Shizuka when she witnessed Komuro and Saeko's little moment that morning. As opposed to Saeko-san who seemed to keep all the hurt and insecurities to herself.

Saya had not been one of those girls who loved having girl talks with friends, she preferred studying. But for an unknown reason, she wanted to reach out to Saeko-san. Somehow, wanting to help Saeko-san made her feel like a normal teenage girl - which she wasn't for the past years of her life.

Now, it was Saeko's turn to look surprised. She had never expected that this was Saya-san's intention in speaking with her. She was touched by the gesture.

Saya cleared her throat, "Komuro is scattered brain and is indecisive, but I believe that he has..."

Saeko placed a finger on Saya's lip, "No need to explain Saya-san. I have already convinced myself, as I said before. I promise to keep my distance from him from now on and avoid circumstances such as those that happened now and the other day."

"So there is something more that happened? Other than what occurred this morning in front of Komuro's room and the events this afternoon in the kitchen?" Saya said unable to stop herself. She maybe too smart and too mature for her age, but she is still a girl that is thrilled by these gossips.

Saeko laughed a hollow laugh, "I'm sorry to say, but yes. I'm not supposed to share it with anyone else but...can you keep that a secret for me?" she tilted her head to the side and pleaded.

"Sure..." Saya nodded, she did say she sees her as a friend.

"But you won't be telling me the details, right?" Saya tried.

"No, I'm afraid not" Saeko smiled once more before placing her arms around the smaller girl and hugging her. "Thank you very much Saya-san"

The first time Saya killed a zombie, she was so freaked out and it was only Saeko-san that stepped forward and comforted her. Everyone just stared. Now, as Saeko-san embraced and thanked her, she felt happy that somehow she was able to return the favour. Both girls knew that this conversation is the start of a good friendship.

* * *

Komuro went to talk with Saya's dad...

"So you'll find your parents no matter what?" Takanagi-san asked.

"I will" Komuro answered. "My father is somewhere far away, so I'll simply pray for his safety. My mother should be at the grade school she works at since the outbreak happened during school. Rei's...I mean Miyamoto's father is a police officer, so we should be able to find something out once we go to the East Police Station. Her mother should be hiding at her house."

Takanagi-san let an amused grin graze his lips, "what will you do once you find them? We'll leave in two days, first thing in the morning. It's far too dangerous to stay here right now."

He responded without the need to think, "we'll find everyone and bring them here before you leave."

For the second time that day, Takanagi-san grinned. The kid in front of him sounded so sure that he will be able to save everyone. He's a kid after all, he's too optimistic and idealistic. "I won't be able to look after so many people" the statement was more of a challenge on how the kid would reply.

"Well, if our parents need our help, we'll stay with them. If we don't come back in two days, please assume we aren't coming" he responded.

Takanagi-san's grin turned into a fully smile. He nodded in affirmation, "well then, you should go now if you intend to come back before two days", he said in a dismissive tone.

The older man was glad that the boy had resolved...knowing that he can entrust his daugher to this boy- man - that they call leader.

Komuro hinted the finality in his voice and bowed to leave. He immediately went to his room to grab his rifle. He stopped by Rei's room, knocked on her door and without waiting for a response he said, "I'll wait for you downstairs" and went to leave.

Unknowingly, Saeko who was in the next room heard Komuro's voice. She let the faint sound of his footsteps die down, signalling that he has started to descend the stairs, before she stood up to follow him.

* * *

A/N: I'm delayed again in my updates...it's okay to scold me. My plan is to have a weekly update but I have been busy these past few weeks...*sigh*...but I will be able to take a vacation starting this Tuesday...yey!

...I will try to update as soon as I can. Oh, if you wish, you can drop me a review or a comment. Hope you liked this chapter...^^


	7. 07 Fears Resurfaced

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

A/N: Sorry for the grammatical errors. Also, my apologies for the late update...I had my share of _bitter sweet love_ for the past weeks, but sadly, more of the bitterness and less of the sweetness *sigh*

Please also note that the story is more on romance...

* * *

**07: Fears Resurfaced**

Saeko blinked quite a few times before her current situation, or rather, position, sink into her currently dazed mind.

Rewinding what happened just moments ago…she clearly remembered crouching down on top of the humvee as it skidded out of the Takagi manor which at the moment was under the attack of hundreds of zombies.

She fixed her footing and held on tight to be able to maintain her balance on the vehicle's roof as it hit a zombie or two which still littered the street. From afar, she could see that a portion of the blockade is destroyed, '_that's how all those zombies reached the main house_', she thought.

"Where do we escape from?" Rei asked.

"It's got to be from over there." Saeko responded.

However, the bus that caused the wall to be demolished is blocking their way. And judging from the size of the gap, she knew that the humvee will not fit.

It was Rei who voiced out what Saeko was thinking, "What? It's too narrow."

But instead of slowing down, the humvee accelerated and made a sharp turn to the left causing the whole vehicle to tilt on the side. Saeko smiled, appreciating the nurse's bravery and driving skills. She then stretched her legs in a standing position, with both arms holding onto the open roof window's ledge.

"Keep going" she ordered.

Even as the humvee turned almost 80 degrees to the side, she didn't have the intention of going in. She enjoyed the adrenaline rush.

"Saeko!" Komuro shouted and pulled her inside with such force and suddenness that surprised her and caused her to land onto his outstretched arms.

The humvee was only inches from the bus on one side and from the concrete barricade on the other. They even hit and break the bus door that was left open.

Saeko felt it as Komuro's back hit the car seat with a slight bounce as the humvee landed onto its four wheels. She also felt as he snaked his arms around her. Her body recognized the feeling and she tensed up – he was hugging her.

"Never do that again" Komuro whispered...and it almost sounded like a plead. "You really gave a fright." He was breathing hard, as if trying to catch his breath...and as if he was the one out there who could have been hit by the concrete barricade.

Not really knowing what to say, a weak "yeah" was her only response. The sincerity in his voice shook her guarded heart once again. Her head that was currently pressed against his chest could feel and hear Komuro's heart was beating madly.

"Never..." he whispered again and tightened his embrace. The feeling of Saeko in his arms was thankfully calming down his heartbeat.

"Sorry to interrupt your little intimate moment, but how long are you planning to stay in that position Komuro?"

Saeko was startled upon hearing Rei's dangerously low voice and it knocked some sense into her. Fear suddenly erupted within her and she impulsively pushed Komuro away, a little harder and harsher than she intended.

Komuro's eyes snapped open and looked Saeko incredulously.

Saeko saw the mixed emotions of hurt and disbelief on Komuro's face. Unsure of what to do, she ended up smiling kindly at him, "thank you Komuro-kun", she said in a formal tone and manner. The last thing she wanted is for everyone in their group to suspect that there is something going on between her and Komuro - or in their case, to know that there is something that is going on. She doesn't like lying, so it is best to avoid doing anything that may rouse their suspicion and cause them to ask some questions.

But it was too late. The act of forcefully pushing Komuro away may have been all too weird, but probably not as suspicious as the hugging itself. As proof, Saeko can feel that all eyes were on them, it's just that no one dared to speak.

As desperate measures, she mustered all her courage and prayed to the gods that the little acting she has within her, would help her. She breathed deeply, placed both her arms to cover her chest and backed away from Komuro.

"Hentai" she muttered. Her nervousness caused her cheeks to flush red complimenting the hurt-little-lamb look that she wanted to project.

To her surprise, the tense atmosphere broke and everyone started laughing.

This wiped the look on Komuro's face and looked around.

"You really did take advantage of the situation Komuro" Kota said in between chuckles. "I never knew you had it in you - to harass a girl like Busujima-sempai"

"What? It's not…I didn't…Hey!" Komuro fumbled for words but nothing comprehensible came out of his mouth. This just incited more laughter.

Even Saya, who was still worried about her parents giggled, but stopped immediately. She felt guilty that she's happy and laughing while her parents fought for their lives.

"Nothing's wrong with enjoying yourself once in a while Takagi-san...even in...or rather, **especially** in these situations" Shizuka-sensei said with a smile.

Saya was a bit surprised that the nurse does say things with sense once in a while. She nodded before turning to look back outside, which turned out to be bad because upon seeing the zombies, her mind went back to worrying about her family.

The laughter soon died down and Saeko turned to look at the view from the window. She was thankful that she was able to weasel out of the situation and was glad that she made everyone happy even for just a while.

The view outside was so peaceful, the setting sun outlined the top of the buildings - it was an exquisite site. Then Saeko realized that if she looks up, everything seems the same as it was as the day before. Because the clear blue sky showed no sign that all hell broke loose on the ground it covered. But she cannot avert her gaze from reality, nor can she pretend that nothing changed. So she focused her gaze at eye level so she can see the few zombies that walked the streets.

She then felt Komuro place his hand on top of hers. She swallowed hard and attempted to pull her hand away, because her feelings for Komuro is one reality that she chose not to face and that she wanted to run away from. She wanted to go back to being friends with him.

Komuro leaned a bit forward and this time, grabbed her hand boldly. This made her turn to look at him and his saddened expression caught her off guard.

"Did I do something wrong?" Komuro asked.

Komuro was really confused when Saeko pushed him away. It was as if she was allergic to him. Her reaction to his embrace and the scared look she gave him at that moment bothered him. He felt a sharp pain in his chest.

He knew that their friends, and Rei, are inside the same vehicle as them, but he didn't care and just wished that they will not hear what he's about to say. He tightened his hold her hand and continued in a very low voice, "If I have offended you with what I did, then I'm sorry. I was just so worried. But I wish you didn't push me away that hard."

Komuro was not sure how he can speak freely about what he felt. He didn't know where the courage came from. The only thing he was sure of was that Saeko had that scared look on her face...and this confused him. He would understand more if she were angry…but scared?

Even the way she thanked him didn't sound good to his ears. It sounded like thanking an ordinary friend or a lower classman, which he thought he wasn't.

Once again, he saw a hint of fear flash in her eyes before it was replaced by an innocent look. Saeko slowly shook her head and gave him a smile. Komuro let go of her hand and turned away from her.

Saeko sighed in relief. She was afraid that if he held her hand longer and if he held her gaze for a few more seconds, her resolve would weaken. She was terrified because the more that he is around her, the more her feelings for him grew.

It was quite the opposite for Komuro...the more Saeko moves away, the more his feelings grow. He felt Saeko distancing herself from him after their brief encounter in the kitchen. However, he didn't say anything because he has no basis and because Saeko does not have any reason to avoid him...at least that's what he thought. He noticed how Saeko looks away or looks at the ceiling or the floor when he is the one talking, that she seems to leave the group as soon as Komuro joins in the conversation, or even how she moves away from him when they fought the zombies...then again, probably, he's just paranoid.

While it is true that he chose to focus on rescuing his and Rei's parents and momentarily forgetting about his emotional dilemma, he found it more and more difficult not to think about Saeko. And the fact that she seems to be avoiding him just made him think about her more. He wants to understand her reasons and he wants to win her attention back. Sadly, the act of Saeko pushing him away just confirmed his gut feel that she was avoiding him in some way and he was hurt. The nagging question in his mind made him bold enough to honestly speak out to her even if there is a risk that their friends and Rei would hear. He felt frustrated that she was sitting so close to him right now, yet, he was unable to reach within her heart and understand what's happening between them.

He closed his eyes and repeatedly forced his mind to focus on the task at hand. He then opened them again and looked forward, gazing at the street ahead. From the side of his eyes, he can see Rei and this brought back memories of the intimate moment they had earlier that day. He blushed at the thought. But his face turned tomato red when he recalled that more than half of the time, he was thinking about making love to Saeko. He shook his head violently and he slapped his cheeks.

"Komuro...Komuro..." Kota gestured him to come closer. And when the other guy did, Kota whispered, "What perverted things are you scheming this time?" he whispered and tilted his head towards Saeko-san.

Komuro swallowed first before speaking, "umm...nothing...I'm not that type of guy" he whispered back.

"Oh come one. I do know you're a bit better than me at looks, but that doesn't give you the license to flirt with Matsumoto and Busujima-sempai at the same time" Kota said earnestly.

He knew Kota was right and was surprised that his pick-up in these type of things is quite fast, but he would choose to wrestle a zombie, without a weapon, than admit anything to him..."I don't understand what you're saying" he responded and went back to his position.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about in secret?" Rei asked, raising an eyebrow. Both guys just looked away whistling. She eyed them suspiciously before turning to look outside the window.

Rei noticed that there are only a few zombies walking around, _probably drawn by the ruckus from the Takagi mansion, _she thought_._ "It's okay for now, I guess" Rei said without a thought, but upon seeing Takagi shaking with her arms around her, she remembered about Takagi's parents that were left behind fighting god-knows-how-many zombies. She wanted to apologize for her thoughtlessness but was cut-off immediately by Takagi.

"Please don't say anything...please..." Takagi pleaded. She hugged herself closer, calming herself and trying to fight the anxieties.

"Takagi-san!" Kota shouted.

"What is it?" Takagi slightly turned her head to look at the idiot, a bit irritated.

"Be sure to keep an eye out" Kota ordered, ignoring the hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Hirano! What are you..." Rei scolded, but was stopped by Takagi again.

"It's okay. It's okay...Hirano is...Kota is right!" Takagi whispered. She knew that Kota just wanted to help. It's true that her parents are currently fighting back at their manor and she is unsure if they are or will be safe. But if she lost her focus now, then her and her friends might be the ones in danger. After all, she is the brains of the group. Pride once again surged within her and she was somehow able to think straight.

"By the way, don't you think the sound of the engine is strange?" Takagi asked.

"I think there's something wrong with the car, but how far am I supposed to drive?" Shizuka-sensei responded absent-mindedly.

"As far as you can go... I'm sorry but Rei and I have to go look for our parents, and I need you guys to come with us." Komuro responded. "And after that, we'll go look for your friend too" addressing Shizuka-sensei.

Both Saeko and Komuro left their own little world and faced forward as soon as they heard Kota's words. Saeko was thankful that Kota reminded them to keep a look out, because she have been spacing out since the little incident with Komuro a while ago. And true enough, she saw from outside that they were approaching the highway and it was literally covered with zombies.

"A highway is coming up" Saeko said.

Everyone's head looked outside and saw what lay ahead of them. Shizuka-sensei stopped, knowing that even a car such as a humvee will not be able to overrun that many zombies.

Alice leaned forward and was overcome with fear, "so many of them" she said.

On the contrary, Takagi wasn't even alarmed. Her analytical mind knew immediately that this is a problem...so the next would be the solution...which could only be to fight their way through. She turned to the backseat and saw that their supposed leader was still dazed at the number of their enemies. She glared and growled at him..._our leader is so slow at making decision, just great!_, she thought.

Komuro didn't miss out on the hint and with a grin, he stood up to open the roof window. Saeko-san climbed out first, then Kota, then him. Saeko-san stood on his right and with poise pulled out her sword and held it in a upright position with her head held high, eyes sharp and ready to fight. Komuro's eyes watched her every move...never failing to amaze him. Kota cleared his throat and crouched down to his left holding his rifle. Komuro scolded himself for spacing out before he lifted his shotgun in position ready to attack the undead ahead.


	8. 08 Honest Feelings

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

A/N: Sorry for the grammatical errors. Also, some of the characters may be OC...but I do intend to keep them IC until the end. (sorry...was that confusing?)

* * *

**08: Honest Feelings  
**

Saeko jump off the roof first, the rush of excitement coursing through her whole body...she is itching to start slashing zombies. "Don't shoot them Hirano-san..." she said.

"But I want to help..." Hirano responded.

"Let us help" Komuro exclaimed.

Saeko turned and looked directly into Hirano's eyes, "thanks Hirano-san, but I think its best that I do this alone for now" and gave him a rather sweet smile, then ran off.

"Saeko!" Komuro called back, but it went on deaf ears.

Komuro bit his lip in irritation and shot the zombie that Saeko was about to slash. This surprised Saeko but ignored it, there is plenty to slain around her. However, she heard another gun shot that hit her next target...and her next target...and her next...and her next...

A vain twitched in her temple and she turned to glare the two men who are still positioned on the humvee's roof, not forgetting to cut the head of the zombie that was inches from her. Kota gulped upon meeting Saeko's deadly glare, "I think you should stop shooting Komuro. She instructed us not to use guns"

"He instructed you...specifically YOU Kota...not me." Komuro said through gritted teeth.

Kota scratched the back of his head, he hasn't seen Takashi like this before. He found it rather amusing, how such a small thing could tick him off. Then again, he knew from the moment he saw him hug Busujima-sempai by the hallway of Saya's house that he has feelings for the girl. And the little incident they had at the back of the humvee, when Takashi hugged Busujima-sempai -again- acting as if no one can see. He knew that everyone pretended not to see at first until Miyamoto's control burst and said something. He had to stifle a laugh seeing the annoyed look on Miyamoto's face.

But to be honest, he too has a bit of a crush on Busujima-sempai. She is a perfect image of a traditional Japanese girl with an added bonus – she can kick zombie ass, and she's pretty damn good at it. Not to mention, she does it in a very sexy way, wearing mini skirt, high heel boots and all. So Kota can somehow understand how frustrated his friend must have been that the girl he likes, or rather, one of the girls he like, is ignoring him and pushing him away. But on the other hand, Kota also supports Busujima-sempai's decision to be wary of Takashi, which may have been due to the fact that Takashi also has feelings for Miyamoto.

He shook his head. This love-love business is all too complicated for him. For now, he is just satisfied that 2 of his favourite things are around him, namely his rifle and Saya-san.

The words and the obvious emotion behind Komuro's words were only audible to Kota, who was beside Komuro, and to Saya, who was standing by the humvee's roof hatch. This got into Saya's nerves...Komuro is acting like a jealous lover...

"Baka!" Saya shouted, "Stop being an idiot and just obey her."

Saya stood up and folded her arms on her chest and said, "They react to sound and the EMP blast blotted out any sounds from within the city. The humvee's engine is making noise and echoing all around too! We probably have the only working engine on the whole highway! That's why we are attracting too much attention from Them. Add to that, we have a trigger happy guy with a shotgun who can't listen to simple orders...so naturally, all the zombies will swarm to where we are! Baka!"

"Stop shooting Takashi!" Rei also shouted from below.

Saya said, putting a hand on his chin, thinking "Saeko-san went out there to thin down the number of zombies so the humvee could pass through..." She sighed in exasperation, "You are just causing the number of zombies to increase."

Saya was itching to kick Komuro's butt at that very moment, if only the fatty's ass in not in the way. Kota was halfway down the hatch and his huge behind is blocking the way.

"Move away fat-ass!" Saya ordered.

"Calm down Saya-san" the nurse said.

"How can I calm down if our leader is being unreasonable and making rash actions?" Saya retorted.

"I think sensei is right Saya-san. You are the brains of the team, if you are not calm and will not be able to think straight, then who can we lean on?" Rei said thoughtfully.

Saya was about to pull Kota out of the way, but stopped upon hearing Miyamoto's words. She was right, she should not lose her cool. She then recalled how her father praised her in remaining calm and clearly explaining the situation after the EMP blast. She could feel tears welling up her eyes, there were very few moments that her father acknowledged her. It was a great parting gift – _no, no_...Saya closed her eyes and sniffed, allowing a tear to fall. She will see her parents again, and surely, her father will praise her again for staying strong and helping her friends in surviving through their ordeal. She just has to do her part as the team's brain.

When she opened her eyes again, she was calm again. "Thanks Miyamoto" she smiled.

"It's Rei, Saya-san" Rei returned the smile, happy that she was able to help.

"Yes...Thanks Rei" Saya repeated.

* * *

Meanwhile, Saeko has no idea as to what is happening back at the humvee, but was glad that Komuro stopped shooting at her targets. He was intervening with Saeko's personal enjoyment and at the same time was really attracting a number of zombies. This was no issue really, it if was just her, she would want to have more enemies to exterminate, but now was not the right time...because they don't have that much time. The sun is beginning to set and it will be dark soon. Also, the longer it takes for them to find her friends families, the less is the likelihood for them to survive.

Back at the humvee's roof, Komuro was still in a crouching position, ready to shoot. The shotgun was still resting on his shoulder, one hand holding the barrel firmly while the other gripped the handle, with a finger on the trigger. He was still holding his position though he knew that has used up all his bullets. He was breathing hard, his continuous shooting was helpful in releasing the pent up stress within him.

He can hear the shouting from within the humvee, but to him those were just noise.

"Stop it Komuro! You're putting Saeko-san's life in danger!" Komuro stiffened. These words from Saya were the only ones that actually reached him.

His eyes immediately scanned the swarm of zombies and spotted Saeko right in the middle, maintaining the zombies around her at least one sword's length away. Anger slowly seeped out of his system and was replaced by guilt and worry. He has to do something.

He then jumped off the roof and swung the shotgun around him, just like a bat, knocking out at least 2 zombies at a time. He knew that he was being reckless, but he just can't sit while Saeko's putting her life in danger. He was able to keep on doing this until he felt pain on his arms. The shotgun was heavier than the bat he was using a few days ago and the weight of the gun increases the more he swings it. It was slowly taking its toll on his muscles and the few minutes of adrenalin rush was dying down. He was tired so he dropped his weapon for a few seconds to rest, which proved to be a big mistake because in that instant, a zombie lunged itself at him. He was able to raise the shotgun just seconds before the creatures wide open mouth bit his face. He held the shotgun with both arms and stuck the barrel onto the zombie's mouth. But the creature is stronger than him and it was pushing him back with such force that he knew his knees will soon fail him. He was done for.

He then saw a shadow leapt from above him and land behind the zombie currently attacking him. He saw Saeko-san raised her sword above her head, he tilted his head sideways and closed his eyes in anticipation of the impact. He heard the whooshing sound the blade made and the force pushing him back was gone, causing him to fall forward. He landed onto something soft, and when he opened his eyes, where else could he be but in Saeko-san's chest. His face warmed up and he could feel an impending nosebleed. He jumped back, one hand holding the shotgun by the barrel and the other clutching his bleeding nose. His move was so sudden that he lost balance and fell on his behind.

"Come on" Saeko said, without looking at him. But when he didn't move or respond, she bent down, got hold of his hand and pulled him up.

"Come on" she repeated and ran away towards the humvee.

While running, "Did you hurt yourself?" Saeko-san's voice was firm and to Komuro's ear, it lack concern.

"No. Thanks for asking. Did you?" was his curt reply.

Saeko jumped onto the vehicle's roof without effort and turned to see Komuro struggling up the vehicle behind her. She extended an arm down to him to help him up. He looked extremely tired and shaken. Komuro grab hold of Saeko's outstretched hand and pulled himself up. He sprawled on the roof still panting.

"Nope. Still not a zombie, I guess" Saeko joked.

"You two okay?" Saya's head popped out of the roof hatch.

"I'm sorry I was not able to decrease the number of zombies"

"It was not your fault Saeko-san, it was that idiot's..." Saya gestured towards Komuro.

Saeko grinned, "He tried to help"

"Yeah, tried...and failed...miserably. You ended up saving him. What a wimp. What is in that brain of yours all this time?"

Komuro met Saeko's eyes...both looked away to hide a blush. Saya rolled her eyes upon seeing this.

"I was not useless. I did knock out a few zombies." Komuro retorted.

"If you really want to be of use, then stop being unreasonable and be the level-headed leader that we expect you to be. First, you used your shotgun causing more of Them to swarm at us, then you jumped off and fought out there as if you are a skilled samurai like Saeko-san. Both efforts did nothing but aggravate our situation." Saya said. "Just stop being immature and grown up." And as she went back inside the vehicle, she said in a low voice, "stop fighting and holding back...that goes for the both of you".

"Stay there for a while to cool your heads. Go back inside when you're both ready to discuss our strategy" came Saya's voice.

The humvee's engine was switched off earlier. The only noise that can be heard is the shuffling of the zombies feet from below them. There were a few who drifted onto the humvee and Saeko is absentmindedly cutting their heads off. She is currently sitting by the roof's edge.

On the other side, Komuro sat back up and is watching Saeko's wrist flicked once in a while to kill off one of the creatures. It was just amazing how she can do that so nonchalantly. He then noticed that the zombie near him have a cellular phone on the chest pocket. He grabbed his shotgun and used the butt to hit the zombie on the forehead. Before it fell, he reached down and grabbed the cellular phone. Saeko turned just in time as Komuro snatched the cellular phone and immediately pulled himself back, as he was about to fall.

"What do you need that for?" Saeko asked. The phone obviously won't work due to the EMP blast.

"Watch this" Komuro smirked, walked behind Saeko and aimed at one of the nearest wrecked cars. He held the phone in both hands and raised his knee in a baseball pitch position and threw the phone with all his might. The sound of metal hitting metal rang in the quiet highway. All nearby zombies followed the sound of the noise and left the humvee.

"We won't be able to escape still. Once the engine revs up, it'll only take a few seconds for them to attack the humvee." Saeko was really curious.

"I just want a few moments of silence with you" was Komuro's shy response, as he sat down beside her.

Saeko looked down on him...judging by his hand gesture, he wanted her to sit down with him.

"This won't take long Saeko-san...please" he said, looking up and meeting her eyes.

She felt that obliging to this simple request could wash away her guilt...she feels that it's her fault for Komuro's irrational behaviour. So she sat down beside him and stretched her legs in front of her.

"I asked you this already but...did I do anything wrong?" Komuro positioned himself close to her so that his whisper won't be heard below.

Saeko thought for a while before responding, "no".

"Then why does it feel like you're avoiding me? I've been thinking about it all this time, recounting all our interactions, but so far I haven't figured it out yet"

Saeko looked at Komuro wide eyed. He indeed has been thinking about her, specifically them, all this time. Her act of avoiding her was too obvious for him and she was right in assuming that her actions had an impact on Komuro's behaviour. Now she feels worse...guiltier. Probably she should take Saya's advice and face her issues. She had never been this much of a coward before and she hated the feeling.

And so she squared her shoulders, breathe deeply and faced Komuro. The guy was taken aback by the sudden change in Saeko's posture and leant back a little.

Looking straight into his eyes, she forced the words out..."would you please stay away from me?"

Before Komuro could respond, Rei's head popped out of the hatch, "are you done resting? We need to have a plan. It's dusk already"

Saeko smiled at her, "we'll be right down" and soon stood up.

Komuro grabbed her hand, "wait...what do you mean by..."

Saeko knew that Rei was still there, but apparently, Komuro didn't or probably didn't mind.

"What do you think it meant?" she responded.

"Did I make you uncomfortable when I...ummm...you know...I ummm..." Komuro let go of her hand and scratched the back of his head.

Saeko's blood boiled for some reason, she crouched back down, grabbed both his shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. Their nose was almost touching due to closeness. Saeko inhaled and the lowest controlled voice she could muster, she said "When you hugged me? Yes. When you kissed me? Yes. When you held my hand? Yes. It made me uncomfortable, so please don't do that again and **just-stay-away-from-me**" with emphasis on the last five words. The words spilled out of her mouth though she didn't want to. Her emotions were starting to pour out that all her anxieties were starting to resurface. She suddenly want to jump down and a zombie killing spree.

She breathed deeply once more and stood up to leave.

"Takashi! Saeko-san!" Saya called from below.

Saeko closed her eyes in desperate attempt to control her emotions. She has to calm down. This was the reason why she was afraid of honestly talking to him...she was afraid that she won't be able to control herself. And control is the one thing she really can't afford to lose, because that's who she is...

She didn't wait for Komuro response and went back inside.

* * *

Inside the humvee,

"What are we going to do?" Rei asked.

"We need to draw them away from us so we can pass through" Hirano said.

"But how?" said Rei.

"I think I saw one of the broken down vehicles have a bike strapped onto it. How about I use the bike to draw them away from here so everyone could escape. I'll just go find you afterwards." Saeko suggested.

"Alone? That would be too suicide." Saya looked at Saeko incredulously. She knew how skilled the other girl is, but being a bait...alone...was just too dangerous, even for her.

"I can do it" Saeko said earnestly. "I just need something that will make noise"

"We have a grenade from Takagi's mom" Hirano said, eyeing the grenade in his hand with much awe.

"Mom did?" Saya exclaimed, making her realize that there are a lot of things she still doesn't know about her parents. "Anyway, Kota should go with you"

"What? I mean...yes, I'll go with you" Hirano's voice was shaking, not sure if short range fighting really suites him.

"No. I'll go with her"

Everyone turned to see Komuro climbing down of the roof hatch.

"I don't think that's a good idea" Saeko said in a low voice.

"Yes, I agree. I don't think that's a good idea" Rei seconded.

Komuro ignored her. "I'd rather be the one to be with you. I will not allow Kota to leave, seeing as seems unsure he is. It's too dangerous and hesitance will just increase the risks" Komuro met her eyes and matched the sharp look she is giving him.

"And you're one to talk" Saya interrupted. "If you forgot..."

"I know I made bad decisions just a few minutes ago" Komuro cut her off. It was the first time someone did it to Saya, so the girl was obviously surprised and pissed. But Komuro's face and tone showed his resolved. He has made up his mind.

"Fine. Whatever you want LEADER. If Saeko-san has no complaints then you should leave at once. It's almost dark out there." Saya said and turned to sit in front of the humvee. The serious look on Komuro's face made her nervous that she was unable of scold him for cutting her off.

"No. Let me join Saeko-san as the bait." Rei insisted. She didn't understand what the two were talking about on the roof, but it sounded serious and intimate to her. She will not allow Saeko hog Komuro to herself. She'd rather go out there than allow their relationship to deepen.

Saeko didn't respond and just turned to Kota to get the grenade. Kota taught her how to use the grenade before handing it over.

"Be careful" Alice-chan said with teary eyes.

Saeko bent down to hug the girl, "thank you" and then climbed up the hatch.

Rei was about to follow her when Komuro's hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Rei, let me do this" then followed Saeko out.

"I thought we already had an understanding?" Saeko whispered as Komuro stood beside her.

"I believe I haven't responded yet. And we're not done talking."

The look Komuro gave her made her heart skip a beat. This is going to be one very difficult mission for Saeko.

* * *

A/N: Not sure if Komuro's a bit of OC here. But based on experience, love sometimes changes people...some become braver, others more foolish and irrational...


	9. 09 Security

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

A/N: Thank you for all the comments, the likes and the favorites. I do understand that the story is not for everyone to appreciate...so some more warning: (1) this is a drama, (2) some of the characters may appear to be OC, (3) this is a product of my wild imagination with some inspiration from the stuffs i've watched and read and (4) this is a Saeko-Komuro love story.

Sorry for the grammatical errors.

* * *

**09: Security**

"Are you sure we should let those two do the mission? I mean, clearly there is some tension between Saeko-san and Komuro" Kota voiced out his opinion.

"And what do you want to say fat-ass? That you'd rather do the mission together with either Komuro or Saeko-san?" Saya said irritatingly.

Kota scratched the back of his head, the nervousness he felt earlier when he was volunteered for the mission was returning. "It's not that...it's just..." he can't think of a good response, because as expected, Saya has a point. If it's neither Saeko nor Komuro, then who else will do the mission. Alice-chan is obviously out of the question. Saya-san is a thinker rather than a doer, so she's better to stick with the team that way, she can contribute more into keeping everyone alive. Rei might be a good option, but for some reason, she has relied on Komuro during their fights and this mission requires the two people to act independently. Lastly, sensei...well, sensei is more reliable behind the wheel rather than in the middle of salivating and smelly zombies. For some reason, he thought of sensei being surrounded by salivating perverted men eyeing sensei hungrily...it that were the case, then what could she have done? Kota shook his head violently to get back to the matter at hand because (1) the answer to that question is clearly irrelevant and (2) his body is starting to heat up just at the thought. Kota sighed, truly, there is no other choice but for Saeko-san and Komuro to do this alone. They are the best two-man team they've got. The problem is, will they be able to act as a team?

Rei on the other hand sat quietly on one corner, sulking. If Rei was to fool herself, she would think he was doing this for her own good because he's worried about her. But the other part of her is saying that he's doing this because he wanted to be alone with Saeko –again-, which she wouldn't allow. That's why she volunteered for this mission even though she knew the danger and cost. However, Komuro stopped her. And the serious look on his eyes made it difficult for her to argue against his decision. Seeing him follow her up the hatch caused a stabbing pain in her chest. She felt as if Komuro was leaving her for Saeko though she knew that they are leaving for a mission. If she were to be rational, Saeko-san and Komuro clearly are the best people for the mission. But the jealousy within her has diminished all her reason and it is that very same emotion that caused her to suffer more.

She closed her eyes and covered it with both hands. She can feel an impending sob, but attempted to suppress it. When she said that she wanted to be him even if he fell for another girl, she was holding onto the fact that Komuro loved her and wished that he still does, but everything that is happening seems to prove her wrong. It seems as if it's too late for them.

"Let's just hope that they both meet us alive and safe tomorrow at point B" came Saya's voice. "This is all to find your families right, Rei?"

At this, Rei lifted her head and look to the passenger's seat to where Saya is.

"I'm sure that Komuro and Saeko-san will be able to pull it off. Actually..." Saya stopped and looked up thinking, "with Saeko-san I am very confident, but with Komuro...I think he is the one that needs our prayers" Saya said with a straight face.

This caused Kota to chortled.

"Don't say that Saya-san" Alice-chan exclaimed. "It's not funny Hirano-san" she continued.

"That's Saya nee-chan to you munchkin!" Saya scolded.

"Yes, that's right. Komuro is a bit scattered brain but..." Saya hesitated before she continued "...but that's why Saeko-san is with him. She's focused and she can whack some senses back into Komuro's brain." Saya turned forward and avoided looking at Rei's face. She needed to say...or better yet, she felt like she needed to.

"I guess you're right that those two are really reliable. What we need to do now is pray for their safety and hope that this plan goes well" Rei finally said, ignoring Saya's last comment.

"Yes, the thing is...we don't have a detailed plan yet" Saya said.

* * *

"I believe I haven't responded yet. And we're not done talking." Komuro looked straight into her eyes to show her his resolve.

Truthfully, there was a nagging feeling at the back of Komuro's head, telling him to abide by Saeko's request and just let Hirano do the mission in his place. However, he was more than sure that Hirano was not the best candidate, seeing that he was better at long-range combats. If he would have to decide, Rei would be a better option, but he just wouldn't allow Saeko and Rei go out there on their own. His ego as a leader took over the better of him. So he decided to accompany Saeko, even if it means ignoring her request of putting some distance between them. He cannot swallow the idea of him sitting comfortable at the back of a car, speeding away to safety, while his friends are out there risking their lives for the group. He'd rather put his own life in danger.

Saeko didn't respond. Komuro spoke once more and she expected that he will talk about them once more. However, when he started talking about the need for a detailed plan, she felt both disappointed and embarrassed.

"I know that we are in a hurry but we haven't discussed the details of the plan yet" he said, "I think it would be best to have every step of the plan ready because we won't have time to think once we're out there."

Komuro looked around and surveyed the area. He saw certain buildings and then his eyes suddenly lit up and a smile grazed his features.

"Now it all fits. " he turned and said to Saeko.

"What do you mean?" Saeko asked.

"We need to get to point A and meet them at point B, right?"

"Yes, we need to lure the zombies away from the highway so they can escape. Then tomorrow we will be meeting them on the other side of the river." Saeko repeated the plan.

"Yes that's right. But I just figured out where point A and B are." Once more, Komuro's grin was ear to ear as he started to discuss the plan. Komuro did all the talking, all Saeko did was nod. The plan was simple - Komuro will do all the work and Saeko will do most of the fighting.

To Saya's relief, Komuro and Saeko-san went down the humvee and discussed the detailed plan with everyone. Saya was a bit thankful that Komuro seems to be back to his usual self, somehow she was reassured that the mission will succeed.

XXXXXXXXX

Once more, Saeko and Komuro stood on top of the humvee. It was time to start the mission - Komuro was nervous and a bit excited, but Saeko's expression was unreadable.

"Let's go" and without another word, Saeko jumped down the humvee, silently landing on the highway below.

Komuro was not as confident that he could land noiselessly, so he chose to climb down in front of the vehicle. Saeko stood silently waiting for him. He then led her to where he saw the bicycle. It was chained to the back of a white 4x4 a few meters from the humvee. Komuro was about to go inside the car to look for the padlock key but Saeko put her arm in front of him to stop him.

"Be ready to catch it" she leant forward and whispered in his ear. Komuro swallowed hard, a bit nervous at the proximity, and nodded. He needed to keep his emotions in check. He just can't get excited whenever Saeko gets too close.

In a very swift movement, Saeko pulled her sword from her waist and slashed the padlock. A thin line appeared on the silver padlock before it split into two. She knelt forward to catch it before it fell to the ground.

Komuro just stared in awe before he realized that her violet eyes are staring questioningly at him as if saying, _"what are you doing?"_

He shook his head "no" involuntarily, saying it was nothing before he proceeded to remove the shackle, which is what's left of the padlock. He slowly removed the chains, making sure that not to make any sound. Meanwhile, Saeko was slicing a few zombies here and there as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Komuro had to hold back a laugh though he knew for sure that the reason why she's doing it is to reduce the number of obstructions on their way.

It took a few more seconds before he was able to lower down the bicycle to the ground. He rode the bike and examined the mass of zombies in front of them. Saeko stepped up and placed her foot on either side of the rear wheels and held on to Komuro's shoulder with one hand, while the other stretched on, pointing her sword forward. It missed Komuro's ear by an inch making him sweat drop. Light travelled the length of sword's blade emphasizing how sharp it is and how easily it could cut his ear off if Saeko chose to. Komuro swallowed hard.

Taking this as his cue, Komuro started pedalling back towards Saya's neighbourhood. He chose a route with the least number of Them. When they started gaining speed, Saeko started slashing as many zombies as she can. She tightened the hold of her left hand on Komuro's shoulders for her to maintain her balance. She knew that her nails were digging onto his shoulders, but she didn't care. She was still pissed off with him. Komuro on the other hand winced at the pain, but similarly ignored it – because basically, there is nothing he can do.

They are nearing a fork and Komuro had to make a sharp right. Komuro was halfway on his turn when Saeko brought his right hand to hold onto his shoulders so that she could keep herself from falling. Whether or not she forgot that she's still holding a very deadly sword, he didn't know. But the sword grazed his right cheek below the eye just as Saeko's wrist settled firmly on his right shoulder. He moved his face away from the sword with great difficulty. He steadied the bike back as they cruised down an almost deserted street. Saeko removed her hand, and sword, away once more and as she gets went back on defense mode. Seeing that there are a few zombies, Komuro slowed down and she jumped off. She walked towards the trash can and sliced it diagonally in half. Light seemingly travelled across the metal trash can before it split into two, scattering thrash and making an echoing noise as the metal hit the ground. Komuro pointed his shotgun at one lone zombie that seemingly lost his way towards them and pulled the trigger.

"Let's go" Komuro said and Saeko went back to the bike and they sped off. Saeko kept on slicing and kicking every trashcan or anything on their way, creating a path of noise, destruction and thrash. And soon enough more of Them started to show up. Komuro made the last effort to go faster as point A reaches his line of sight. He then stopped pedalling and allowed the bike to glide forward, estimating that it would stop exactly in front of the designated house. Saeko knew this was the signal that they are nearing point A so she got ready for a fight.

"Go!" Komuro shouted, ignoring that he is making noise and is drawing more zombie attention towards them - it was part of the plan anyway.

Saeko once again jumped off the bike, took a moment to examine the enemies in front of her and took her stance. She stretched her right hand to the side, bent forward, closed her eyes and breathed deeply...Komuro swallowed hard in anticipation as if he's watching an old Japanese film fight scene...and the second she opened her eyes, she was gone from his sight and blood oozed everywhere. The horde of zombies around them grew caused by the noise they made but whenever Saeko passed Them, either their arm or head ends up rolling on the side of the road followed closely by the rest of their body and the rest of whatever blood is left in their decaying bodies.

Komuro shook himself out of daze and regretfully averted his gaze from her. He looked at the two-floor house in front of him, his eyes traced the planned path...they would go up the wall to enter through the 2nd floor side window. Then, they will climb to the roof through the terrace.

There's more of Them than he expected, but he chose not to help Saeko fight, knowing that his shotgun will do nothing but attract more of Them, like what had happened earlier. So he sprinted towards the metal gate and used the grills to climb towards the cement fence with great difficulty. He even used the head of one zombie as a step ladder. He tried to maintain his balance as he walked on top of the fence towards the second floor window, which he knew would not be locked.

This is his aunt's place. He used to play here as a kid and still often visits to hang out with his cousin. He knew the house well, so he knew that this window is the only way in because the window's lock is not working properly. Thankfully his aunt's husband has been too busy with work to fix little details such as a broken window lock. He knew it was safe to come here because his aunt and her family are currently on vacation to a different country. His cousin had been absent from school because of this trip.

He slowly opened the window, ensuring that he's not making any sound. He stepped inside a dark room, which he knew to be the guest bedroom. Though he knew that the house is empty, he still said a silent prayer that there are none of Them inside or more specifically, that none of his relatives have been turned into Them. Though it was dark, he was able to make his way to the door, down the hall and onto the balcony at the back without tripping or meeting anyone or anything. He stepped out and climbed on to the roof. He scanned the perimeter seeing Saeko still fighting zombies. It even looks as if she's even enjoying herself. He then looked further to his left and was very thankful that as expected, he can see the highway and the humvee. He then turned to his far right and from there he can clearly see the park. And of course, he can also see the horizon, the sun setting to one side and the moon rising from the other. Zombies are everywhere, but most of them are on the highway, drawn by the sound the car made earlier and by the resounding noise made by his shotgun. He shook his head upon remembering his stupidity.

As he ran the plan through his head one last time, his heart start to beat madly. He hoped that their plan work, because there's no plan B. He then squared his shoulder and faced the park – now he has to do his part.

His loud heartbeat and his hard breathing served as a natural clock – every beat and breath felt like a second. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, from the moment he removed the pin from one of the grenades, to the moment he started running to gain momentum until the time he drew back his right hand and threw the grenade towards the park with every strength he could muster at the same time putting one foot forward firmly to stop himself from falling off of the roof. He had no time to wait for the grenade blast; he sharply turned to look at the front gate and shouted with all his might, "SAEKO!" However, it was muffled by the reverberating sound of the explosion which echoed through the seemingly lifeless and quiet neighbourhood.

Komuro instinctively crouched down and covered his eyes to shield it from the blast of wind and dust. But when realization hit him that Saeko is still down there, he immediately stood up towards her direction. That was supposed to be her cue to escape and follow him inside the house. However, she was still down there fighting. She looks a bit shaken by the blast but had a determined look to keep her ground and fight. The number of zombies surrounding her had increased compared to the time he left making it difficult for her to leave.

The first blast had caught the attention of the zombies, but the mass was too many for such a small street, thus there was no room for escape. Komuro started to get nervous. He was about to run down to Saeko's aid but a red banner caught his peripheral vision. Someone was on top of the humvee waiving a red cloth; it was their signal that they will be revving up the engine the next minute. Memories of their last group conversation flooded his mind.

"_Promise me one thing Komuro, that we will both stick to the plan no matter what happens" Saeko turned to him._

_Everyone's eyes were on Komuro, awaiting his response, "what if there are too many of Them for you to handle alone?"_

"_Trust me and stick to the plan..." was her response._

"_What if..." he wasn't able to continue. The stern look she gave him was enough to make stop any argument and to just nod in agreement._

"_Be careful Saeko-san. You are a bait...not a sacrifice" Saya said._

"_I will" Saeko's eyes softened as she smiled at the other girl that was her friend._

Komuro balled his fist. He had to stick to the plan just as he promised.

He turned to look at the highway and was glad that just as planned, the first blast had caught the attention of the zombies and they started to shuffle away from the humvee.

As he pulled the second grenade out of the bag, he looked down on the crowd of zombies where Saeko was supposed to be and prayed "please be safe". He then positioned himself at the far end of the roof, "God, please help her to be safe..." his voice had been the merest of a whisper but full of plea.

He prepared for the sprint, removed the pin, ran and threw the grenade towards the park just as he did before. As soon as the grenade left his hand, he could hear the sound of the humvee's engine. He ran back in position, preparing to throw the third grenade and repeated his movements. Two consecutive explosions filled the air. He took a few seconds to recover before he hurriedly left the roof and ran downstairs. He took two or three steps at a time. Again, he didn't encounter anyone or anything on his way down, but even if he did, he will not even notice. His mind has been focused solely one thing – Saeko. He reached the front door and turned the knob. It clicked but didn't open. There are three more locks...keeping him from saving her. His worry and frustration was getting the best of him so almost a minute has passed and still, he wasn't able to unlock the door.

"Damned!" he cursed and slammed his fist against the door and attempted to open the locks again.

"Saeko! Saeko!" he shouted as his fingers continue to fumble through the series of locks.

The shuffling of the feet of countless zombies resounded from the other side of the door. He heard the metal gate fall to the ground, as if it fell down with a body on top of it. He looked through the peep hole, but it was of no help...all he could see were zombies on their way towards the park.

He stopped trying to unlock the door...his whole body felt weak, he was shaking and he was drenched in sweat as the realization hit him...Saeko might be dead. He looked out again, but it was the same, all he could see were zombies and she was nowhere to be seen.

"No it can't be..." he stood frozen. In anger, he slammed his fist on the door once more.

"I wouldn't do that again if I were you" came a voice from the foot of the stairs. "You'll draw their attention"

He couldn't believe his ears and it took a good minute his brain to recognize the voice.

"Saeko?"

"Who else?"

He ran towards her and embraced her. "I thought you were..." the last word was inaudible as he buried his head on her shoulders. At first, he didn't know if he wanted to ask how she's feeling, check out if she has not been bitten or wounded, get her to sit down and rest upon hearing her ragged breath, touch and look at her face just to make sure it was really her, hold her close and feel her warmth just to make sure that she is alive or kiss her - just for the heck of it. But he just ended up embracing her.

Saeko stood unmoving. She had been fighting Them for god-knows-how-long. She knew she was supposed to escape to the house after or before the first blast, all the ruckus they made had drawn more zombies than she expected. The first blast sent a gust of wind her way. Dust went into her eyes and for a moment she found it difficult to see. In that moment, a zombie lunged at her causing her to lose her balance and to fall onto the ground and lose her sword. She had always been confident that with a bokken, she is strong and with a real sword, she's invincible. But now that her sword is out of her reach, she felt weak and scared. And that moment of fear was enough for her body to realize that she was hungry and tired and had not rested since they flee from the Takagi mansion – she was not in the best condition to fight. For the first time, she hoped that there was someone to rescue her - Komuro. She had always depended on her own strength, but somehow, without her knowing, she had started to rely on him. How and when it happened, she didn't know. It just did.

But she knew that he will not come. He made him promise that he will not come to her aid. And as she struggled to the zombies off of her, she felt that she still have the sheath of her sword. She pulled it out and with all her might used it to push Them away. Then the second and third blasts came. It distracted the zombies and it was the time when she thought she heard his voice. A small voice from within her signalled that she could now escape. Again, where it came from and how it happened could take her years to comprehend.

She then saw her sword just a feet away to her right. He swung the sheath as if it were a bokken and knocked two of Them out of the way. She picked up her sword and once again felt stronger and braver. She then jumped up the cement wall using Them as springboard. She balanced herself and walked towards the side window, which Komuro said he was sure will be left open.

The house was bathed in darkness and she relied only on the faint moonlight through the window for illumination. She carefully sheathed her sword and put it back to her waist. She then extended both her hands up front, feeling her way through the unfamiliar house. There was no sign of Komuro. She was worried that Komuro had been wrong, that his relatives are currently home and had been turned into zombies. But what was scarier was the outcome, either Komuro had been attacked or he has been forced to kill his own relatives. Both sounded terrifying and it just added up to the Saeko's fear.

Blood was pounding through her ears as she continued to make her way down the stair case. Every step took forever because she chose not to rush forward. After her near-death-experience earlier, she wanted to be a bit more cautious. After all, she promised Komuro and everyone that she will be careful.

As soon as she reached the foot of the staircase, she narrowed her eyes and tried to make out her surroundings. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard and saw Komuro slammed his fist against the door.

Relief washed over her, not just because she knew that he was safe but because she felt an unexpected feeling of security. She can't see him properly, but his voice clearly confirmed it was Komuro. He then rushed towards her and placed his arms around her, squeezed her tight and settled his head on her shoulders. His actions were once again instinctive and rash making her forget that she was avoiding him. Or maybe, she remembered but chose to ignore it.

The embrace wasn't long, but was enough to calm down her madly beating heart and to ease her fear. The darkness of the room masked her flushed cheeks, but it was unable to hide the truth that somehow she needed him.

Saeko let herself be dragged by her emotions...placed her arms around him, closed her eyes and let his warmth lull her into comfort.

* * *

A/N: I know I am super delayed with the update, sorry about that.

Thanks very much for the encouragements. Truly appreciated... Arigatou Gozaimasu...


	10. 10 Conversations

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

A/N: Just a heads up, more drama in this chapter.

Sorry for the grammatical errors.

* * *

**10: Conversations**

The humvee sped forward as soon as the mass of zombies thinned down. Shizuka-sensei drove the humvee towards the designated point B.

Rei looked out as the darkness and the humvee's speed blurred the view of the river outside. And as Rei closed her eyes, the vision of Takashi and Saeko plagued her thoughts. The idea of them being alone together...sharing an intimate moment was enough to cause all the jealousy to seep back to Rei's system.

Knowing that they are a good match in combat is one thing, but it was nothing compared to the pain brought by the realization that Takashi had liked Saeko-san from the very beginning and that his feelings have grown as days passed. Rei had always been confident that Takashi loved her. Even if she ignored his feelings and chose to go out with Hisashi, Takashi never stopped loving her. This was what she was holding on when she said to Takashi that she wanted to be with him even if he fell for another girl. She knew he was falling for Saeko-san and that she was slowly losing him, but Rei still banked on to the thought that Takashi had loved her first and longer than he had known Saeko-san. However, the more reality happened before her eyes, the more she felt like she couldn't ignore it any longer. Fate seems to be bringing those two together, as if saying there is nothing Rei could do.

She felt bitter. And she wished that she had been nicer to Takashi from the very beginning. Then she suddenly remembered the conversation she had with Takashi while they were in the apartment of sensei's friend...

...

_They were sitting on the spiral stair case, Takashi was drinking a juice box as Rei babbled on and on about the sadness she was feeling._

_"Like I said, Hisashi was sweet to me!" Rei started. "That's why I wanted to..." she paused. She was supposed to say that she wanted to sleep with him but felt like she didn't need to articulate it. Komuro surely understood what she meant._

_She continued talking, "When I was lonely, he was always there to listen to me. Even about me repeating the same grade...All you ever do is get upset about it, but..." she stopped upon hearing Takashi sigh._

_"Hey, are you listening?" she tugged on his left sleeve._

_"So tired..." he nonchalantly responded while handing the juice over to her._

_Rei was taken aback. She was pouring her frustrations and emotions out and all Takashi could say was that he's tired?_

_"I'm tired" he repeated in the same monotonous voice._

_Rei's eyes widened and she pushed his arm away. She stared at the foot of the stairs, not wanting to see his emotionless face. "What the hell is that? That's why I think you're so boring."_

_"I'd be a comedian if I could joke about this" his voice was almost a whisper._

_"You're always so..."_

_"Do you expect me to always go along with your temperament? I've got my own problem to worry about." Takashi didn't let her finish._

_He knew that Komuro was irritated by her complaining...and this just made her angrier. So she said the words she knew will hurt him the most "That's why I chose Hisashi."_

_"Shut up!" he stood up and shouted. "You bring up Hisashi every chance you get! I'm not him! Besides...he's dead! After he turned into a monster..." Takashi's eyes looked dark and scary, "...I killed him" he continued._

_"Face the reality already! We're still alive, and we will survive no matter...no matter what! Stop bringing up..."_

_Rei's eyes widened in surprise at Takashi's outburst. He looked as if he was losing it, she did bring up Hisashi to hurt him, but she hadn't expected this. She felt guilty._

_Rei reached up and pulled on his left sleeve once more to get his attention...to calm him down. She pulled herself up to look in his eyes, but she was not able to._

_The death of her boyfriend and her inability to contact her parents all weighed down on her. She had just wanted someone to share it with to ease her burden. And Takashi was the only one she knew well enough to listen to her. However, she hadn't expected that he would be so indifferent, this irritated her and they ended up fighting. She just wanted to be comforted..._

_Not knowing what to say, she just leant forward, stared into his eyes and kissed him. She knew that he will kiss her back...and he actually did. They shared a brief but passionate kiss._

_..._

That kiss reaffirmed his feelings for her. But it felt like it happened ages ago.

Rei involuntarily ran a finger on her lower lip, before sadly looking outside the window once more. Unsure whether or not she should just give Takashi up and move on.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Komuro was surprised that Saeko returned his embrace. Too bad it was cut short...

Saeko pushed Komuro back. "I think I heard something"

Komuro placed a hand on his stomach and it rumbled once more.

Saeko looked down at his belly and started laughing. It was the same hearty laugh she had when they were alone back at the temple, when he showed her the portable potty.

"Well, I'm sorry for being noisy" he said acting a little hurt. But Saeko just kept laughing...

Komuro thanked his stomach for making her laugh, something that she rarely does these day.

"I think we should check out the kitchen for some food" she said when she was finally able to stop.

"I think so too. Let's go, it's right down the hall" he said as he offered his hand.

Saeko thought about it for a second, before deciding to reach out and hold his hand.

Komuro had to suppress another smile as he gripped her hand tight and pulled her forward. He easily navigated through the darkness and led her into the kitchen and onto the cabinet where he knew the canned goods are stored.

"Get everything that we need and put it in the bag, we're not sure if when we'll need it" Komuro said. "I'll check over there in case there are some left over bread. I think the candles are there as well" he said pointing to the cabinet on the other side of the room.

He walked over to the window first to open all the curtains and allow the moonlight in. He looked up at the cloudless sky for a moment, then to Saeko, who was still getting the cans from the hanging cabinets. She was dirty. Her clothes are torn in certain places and stained with blood. She was sweaty, causing her hair to stick to the back and side of her neck. Her eyes looked lifeless and tired. But still...to him...she looked beautiful.

"Did you find any candles? It's difficult to see through this darkness" Saeko said without looking at his direction.

Komuro almost jumped in surprise "umm...wait just a second". He hurriedly opened a drawer and looked for the candles and some matches. Luckily, nothing changed and the candles are still where they used to be. He lit one, picked up the loaf of bread right above the counter and walked over to Saeko.

He placed the candle on the counter right beside her and once again found himself staring at her.

"Is something wrong?" she looked at him innocently. "I look filthy don't I?" she said looking down at her clothes and trying to dust off the hem of her shirt, which he found funny because it didn't make any difference.

He shook his head and waved both his hands in front of him, "No! No!" he said as if he had said something offensive. He forgot that he was still holding the bread so it fell to the floor.

He quickly picked it up and placed it down on the counter. He then saw that Saeko was still looking at him, waiting for an answer. He suddenly felt nervous, "yes you do...umm I mean n-no you don't..."

"Really?" she questioned, looking and touching her torn sleeve.

"...yes you're dirty...but y-y-you still look good" he mumbled. He mentally smacked himself upon realizing that he sounded stupid.

Saeko giggled and said "thank you" before going back to stacking the canned goods in Komuro's bag.

"Is the bread still edible?" Saeko asked.

Komuro inspected it through the candle light, "I guess so. It doesn't have molds yet"

"Can you please get a bread knife and a can opener? Let's eat first before resting, or else your stomach might complain again" she said jokingly.

Komuro smiled and did as he was told. He also went to get plates and utensils and placed them beside her.

As soon as she was handed the knife, she started slicing the bread. Looking at her made him remember a not so distant memory...

...

_Takashi walked directly to the kitchen cabinet and disappeared behind the door...looking for something to eat._

_"Komuro-kun? A late-night snack will be ready soon and tomorrow's lunch too" came Saeko-san's voice._

_He was a bit surprised because he hadn't noticed that she was in the kitchen too._

_"You're such a big help Busujima-sempai" he said as he picked up a juice to drink instead._

_As he closed the cabinet door, he politely smiled to look at her "I'm sorry that you had to..." he stopped midsentence at what he saw._

_His eyes travelled from her legs... -his mind went haywire. Everything went silent and the only thing he could hear was blood pounding to his ears._

_...up to her exposed butt and black thong... -a blush crept to his cheeks and he moved a step away from her._

_...to her smooth back and to her full, round breast...then to her long neck and lastly to her beautiful, alluring face... –his muscles stiffened and an indescribable shriek came out of his mouth. "What!"_

_Saeko turned to face him and with an innocent look, she asked "What's wrong?"_

_Upon meeting her eyes, his heart raced and he moved another step backward._

_"W-What's wrong? I mean..." his face was now beat red._

_Saeko-san's face lit up showing that she understood, "oh you mean, this?" she said, turning her whole body towards him while holding the edges of the white frilly apron she was wearing._

_"I couldn't find clothes in a size that fits me. So until I finish doing laundry, I'm wearing this" she pulled down the fabric near her chest...hugging her full chest erotically, not knowing that it was tormenting Komuro._

_"I guess it's too revealing" she continued, tilting her head to one side._

_"Sorry", she apologized._

_"Oh no, it's okay..." he hurriedly said and looked away. But the image of her whole body was still etched in his mind...causing blood to drip out of his nose. And as he wiped the blood, his eyes passed by her once again. This turned out to be a big mistake because his muscles hardened even more, making him consciously reach and pull his shirt down to cover his bulge._

_"...but we don't know when they might come and start attacking us, so..." he reasoned out._

_Komuro's dilemma seems unnoticed by Saeko-san, so with a calm and sweet smile she replied, "you and Hirano are watching out for us. I show my absolute trust in the man I praise."_

_Takashi swallowed hard and tried to focus on Saeko-san's face. The compliment Saeko-san gave him made him temporarily forget his body's involuntary reactions._

_"Hey Takashi, listen..." came Rei's whining voice from the upper floor._

_Takashi and Saeko-san both stopped talking and looked up._

_"Takashi...Takashi..." Rei called again._

_"You'd better pay attention to her." Saeko-san said and went back to cooking. "At time, a girl likes to pretend to be helpless."_

_"You too, Busujima-sempai?"_

_Saeko laughed, "I like to be called Saeko by my friends" she said, changing the subject._

_Her request surprised him. He tried to say her name but the word just wouldn't come out of his mouth. "Sa...Sa-"_

_Saeko giggled, "you can call me that after practicing" she interrupted._

_"Takashi! Takashi, I'm calling you!" Rei's voice sounded louder and angrier. "Takashi!"_

_Komuro sighed. He looked at Saeko one last time, not wanting to end their conversation just yet._

_"Go to her" Saeko said._

_Begrudgingly, he left the kitchen and walked up the spiral staircase to where Rei was..._

_..._

"Saeko" he unconsciously said, just wanting to say her name.

She turned to look at him curiously.

"I just remembered something" he smiled in response.

The memory seems to be a good one, Saeko thought. "What is it about?"

"Remember the time when we are Shizuka-sensei friend's house? You were also preparing a late night snack at that time."

"Yes I do..." she paused. She looked down and picked up a piece of bread to eat.

The atmosphere between them suddenly changed. The topic brought back the negative feelings she was trying to push away. At least for tonight, she intended to be civil with him. She wanted to forget about their issues and get a good rest. But fate seems to be playing a game on her by not letting her be at peace even for just one night.

"I also remembered that we had to end our talk because Rei was calling out to you" she continued with a low voice.

"Yeah...she was..." Komuro's voice was as low as hers.

"Your conversation went well" she continued. She was not able to hide the irritation she's feeling so her voice sounded cold.

She heard Komuro shuffled his feet. He seems nervous and uncomfortable about the topic.

"We ended up fighting"

His response angered her, but she maintained her tone and attempted to control her emotions.

"No you didn't"

"Yes we did. You should have heard us...or at least I expected that you heard me. I was practically shouting at that time"

She knew Komuro turned to look at her, but she decided not meet his gaze.

"Yes I heard and saw you. You ended up...kissing..." the last word was a bit harder to say than she expected.

A minute of silence passed.

Saeko absentmindedly stared at the flickering light of the candle. Images of the heated and passionate kiss that Komuro and Rei shared flashed before her eyes. At that time, she didn't care. But seeing shadows of that same memory now seem to cause inexplicable pains in her chest.

"I'm sorry" he whispered.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I'm not sure either... I guess, because I'm making you uncomfortable again..." Komuro did sound sorry and embarrassed.

"I guess you still wanted me to stay away from you..." he continued.

The obvious answer was yes. But it took Saeko a minute before she affirmed.

"As much as I want to do it...I think I can't" he said sadly.

She looked at him and waited for an explanation.

He turned to face her and smiled bitterly, "how can I do that...when all I can think of is you?"

Her eyes widened in surprise and her jaw dropped. He sounded and looked like a child. His words felt honest and pure that it rendered Saeko speechless.

* * *

A/N: There we go...the impending conversation has started.

The flashbacks are from Act 6 of the anime.


	11. His and Her Circumstances

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

A/N: The story is nearing its conclusion. Please note that this chapter is made in preparation for the ending.

And as you guessed it, yup, there's more drama.

* * *

**11: His and her circumstances**

Saeko's mind went blank. She opened and closed her mouth like a gold fish but there were no words that came out – she just doesn't know what to say.

Komuro noticed this and snapped out of his trance. His mind usually goes haywire when he is around her, so he always ends up doing irrational things.

"I'm sorry, that seems to have surprised you" he whispered.

"No. I...just..." she averted her gaze from him "...well yeah, that was a bit surprising" she mumbled.

Komuro looked away. "You should probably change your clothes first, the stuff are in my bag. Then we can eat at the dining area."

"That's a good idea" Saeko's breathing loosened a bit now that the tense atmosphere is dissipating.

They both turned to face the kitchen counter. Saeko drew the bag closer to the candle and looked for the plastic bag that contained her clothes, while Komuro looked at the remaining canned goods in the cabinet to select one that they could eat.

Minutes of silence have passed. And this long pause was all Komuro needed to gather all his courage before he said...

"After we've rested and eaten, can we please continue our conversation?"

He was nervous, it was evident in his voice. But Saeko knew that he was determined and that he had made a decision to finish this long anticipated conversation.

Another moment of silence passed before she replied.

"Sure. Let's do that" she may have sounded confident, but deep within her, she was afraid and unsure.

Komuro smiled, then started opening a can of meatloaf.

"And can you please call me Takashi. That's how my close friends address me" he grinned, repeating the same words she used on him.

Saeko didn't respond and just proceeded to lighting a candle that she'll bring with her to the living room where she'll change her clothes and possibly clean herself up a bit using a hand towel.

If courage is indeed something that is consumable, he knew that he's used up all his courage by now.

He had been bold enough to ask her to continue their conversation and now he's requesting for her to call him by his given name?

He knew his request may not be accepted, but he still felt a little nervous when he spoke and he was still a little sad when she didn't respond. But he still kept his smile and just tried to change the topic.

"I'm going to set the table so we can feed our hungry stomachs as soon as you're done Saeko-sama" he said with a small bow.

She also bowed her head politely before walking towards the kitchen door. And as she was about to exit, she said "thank you very much...Takashi".

His grin was from ear to ear. It feels like it will be a long...but hopefully...good night.

* * *

_Her circumstance..._

Killing an unquestionable enemy excited her and she wanted more. With a wicked grin she sliced Them merrily and the more she killed, the more it satisfied her lust. Then she knew she needed to stop before it was too late.

She has never shared this with anyone because she knew no one will understand. Not her friends...not even her family. For four years, she fought her inner demon alone. Striving to maintain the Busujima Saeko that everyone knew or believe they knew.

But inside that temple Takashi was able to break through her defences and before she even realized, she was already telling him her deepest secret. He didn't even ask about it...it was her who wanted to share it with him.

Without even thinking, the words just came freely out of her mouth. The story she has been holding for years was now openly being told to a person she barely knew. And just relieving the memory made her go insane: the sensation of smashing the guy's shoulder blade and femur, the feel of his warm blood on her face, the sound he made as he whimpered and the look of fear in his eyes. She enjoyed all of it and every moment of it.

She has not said a word to anyone that she was the only person who took joy when z-day began. Because then, she does not need a reason to fight. She felt powerful as she danced through a horde of zombies...making them fall limply to the ground one by one with just a few strokes. She enjoyed the freedom too much that she realized she was going out of control...and that's when she started going weak.

She was afraid that if she takes another strike, she will not be able to turn back and that the darkness within her will consume what remains of her sanity and reason.

And as she wallowed into despair, Takashi reached out and pulled her up. He saved her.

It was not the intimacy that has broken down her barriers...it was the sincerity of his gestures and the meaning of his actions. The kiss he gave her calmed down her pounding heart and cleared her chaotic mind. His embrace comforted her and made her sleep soundly that night. His desperate plea reaffirmed that despite all her flaws, she was admired, wanted... and loved.

It was all these that made her fall for him, all along wishing that he had fallen for her too.

However, they were back to reality the moment they reached Takagi's house.

Saya immediately greeted them with an irritated look on her face.

_"It was your fault for not protecting her! There were only the two of you on the roof and you let her fall!" Takagi shouted. "Jeez...just go to her already! She has been blabbing about you all night to Shizuka-sensei! It was so annoying!" and she stomped away._

_They both knew Saya was talking about Rei. Takashi turned to look at Saeko with an apologetic look._

_"Go" she said with a smile._

And after that, Takashi immediately rushed to Rei's room and never left her side.

It was then when Saeko decided to hold back her feelings and try to go back to the way they used to be...friends...just friends.

She threw away her false hope... continuously denying that his declaration was merely out of pity or desperation and that he didn't mean it in a romantic way. But his actions always force the feelings back.

Then it came to the point that pretending to be friends was not enough to stop herself from falling for him. So she decided to put some distance between them. But that effort hit her back once again like karma, because the more she avoids him, the more she finds herself trapped in his eyes and his embrace.

She has resigned to the fact that someone else has his heart...yet, here he is, confessing to her...forcing hope back into her closed heart once more.

_Should she trust his words and open his heart to him?_

And with this final question in mind, she finished changing her clothes so she could proceed to the dining room where he is waiting for her.

She has to be mentally and emotionally ready for round 2.

* * *

_His circumstance..._

How did they end up in that awkward situation...again?

Takashi mentally smacked himself. Of course he knew the answer to that, because he messed up...again.

Whenever he is alone with Saeko-san, he always does something that makes her uncomfortable or angry...first, when he kissed her at the temple...then he hugged her back at the mansion...then he played that stupid game which resulted to him kissing her, again...then he embraced her desperately after he pulled her into the humvee...then he angered her when he used his shotgun when she specifically mentioned not to...and now, he said those words...

All those instances ended the way it did because he chose to follow his emotions. He acted without thinking. To simply put it, he had been stupid.

If he had just followed what his mind has been telling him to just focus on getting together with Rei, he shouldn't be in this dilemma. Obviously, Rei liked him now so there won't be any difficulties if he had just accepted Rei...then they'd eventually live happily ever after.

"Happily ever after, huh..." he said to no one in particular. His voice was barely audible so he was confident that Saeko-san, who is currently changing in the next room wouldn't hear what he just said.

Will he really be happy?

He knew the answer to that too – 'No'

To be more specific – 'Not anymore'

For the past days, the person that made him feel all these mixed emotions to the point that he would lose his sanity had not been Rei...it was Saeko.

It was Saeko's sweet smile that made his heart skip a beat...it was Saeko's voice that made him feel at ease...it was Saeko's trust that made him confident to stand as the leader of the group...it was Saeko's encouragement that made him feel braver and stronger...surely there are many more things that made him a better person when z-day began and it's all because of Saeko.

Funny how he just realized all these as he fumbled through the door's lock and as he angrily pounded the door out of desperation to come and save her. He thought she had died. And as images of a dead Saeko filled his mind...so did the images of an inexistent future with her. All the 'what if's' and 'what could have been's'. That's when it hit him...he loves her.

The years he spent loving Rei may be incomparable to the days he started loving Saeko. But does it really matter? If the world really is going to end anytime soon and you don't know if the other person will live to see another day...are these small details really that important?

So he has decided that as soon as Saeko-san returns to the dining room, he will momentarily forget all reason and stop thinking.

If Saya was here, she will surely call him stupid. But he doesn't care anymore.

He knew that he may be setting himself up for a possible heartbreak, but from the moment he accepted the truth that he loves her...he had been ready.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for taking the time read this chapter. Round 1 obviously went to Takashi. Next chapter will be round 2 and probably the last chapter or one of the last few chapters of this story.

Also, you may have noticed that I was not using Takashi's given name through out the story. It was my intention because Saeko was a little unsure of whether she wanted to be too familiar with him...knowing that she is struggling to control her growing love for him. I guess others may have other opinions about this matter...but that's my take on it. ^^

- o 0 o -


	12. Words and Unspoken Truths

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

A/N: This is the last chapter, but I will be writing an epilogue. Not sure but probably you'll find the Saeko and Takashi a bit OC. You have been warned!

The beginning and middle part have been _bitter_ and dramatic so I really wanted the ending to be more on the _sweet_ side.

* * *

**12: Words and Unspoken Truths**

Saeko stepped into the dining area and was immediately greeted by Takashi's nervous smile. She also smiled to herself, knowing that she was not the only one that was nervous. She ignored the loud pounding of her heart against her ribcage and put on the best smile she could muster.

"Sorry for making you wait Takashi"

Takashi hid the impending grin. Somehow, the sound of his name coming from Saeko's lips sounded nice...and sexy.

"Sexy?" he repeated to himself. Now is definitely not the right time to think about these things!

His eyes then involuntarily darted to Saeko. Only her face was clearly visible because it was illuminated by the candle light. But that little light was enough to make his heart stop just as his eyes focused onto her half lidded eyes, her beautiful cheekbones before it settled onto her lips. He stared, wanting and hoping to see that same lips mention his name once more.

_Probably it will not only sound, but also look sexy if she says my name._ He smacked himself at the thought.

Saeko likewise forced herself not to giggle at the look Takashi was giving him. His expressions are quickly changing that she found it rather funny.

_I wonder what he's thinking right now?_ she thought.

He also had a little blush on his cheeks that looked so cute that she just can't help but tease him about it.

"Is there anything wrong Takashi? You're staring too much" she said almost laughingly as she sat down on the chair beside him.

"I'm not thinking of any perverted thoughts!" he said defensively, pushing his chair away from her and shaking his head violently.

This time, Saeko laughed openly. "I never said anything about perverted thoughts."

"You didn't! I never said you did! I just thought..." this time he stood up and waved his hand in front of him to stress his point.

Saeko laughed harder, "you thought what?"

Takashi frowned. "You seem to be enjoying yourself" he said with a pout. "It's not funny" he said childishly.

Saeko wiped the tears from her eyes due to excessive laughter, "I know, I'm sorry"

"Don't worry about it. I was glad you found my predicament funny" he said, acting as if he was hurt. Well, if truth be told he indeed was a bit annoyed at Saeko for being too happy, while he was looking like an idiot, panicking at every wrong word that comes out of his mouth. But upon seeing her smiling face, all the irritation and worry went away.

He cleared his throat. "Now Saeko ojou-sama, if you've laughed enough, can we please eat first? My stomach is on a strike already" he said, picking up a slice of bread.

When Saeko was finally able to stop, she too started eating.

The laughter did its job at lessening the tension between them, even by just a little.

They both ate, or at least pretended to eat, in silence, before Takashi put down the food back on the plate. He just had one bite of bread, which he had a lot of trouble in swallowing. After that, he gave up eating and focused on thinking how he wanted to start the conversation. He was the one who asked for it anyway.

His heart started to beat madly once more and he can feel his blood rushing to his head. He clenched both his fist until his knuckles so tight that it was turning to white. He then tensed his shoulders and looked at her with determined eyes.

"Ummm...Saeko-san, I..." he stopped. His vocabulary diminishing by the second and the well planned speech in his head suddenly disappeared.

Saeko didn't look up when he called her. She gave him time to recover from his anxiousness. But when almost a minute has passed, she decided to help him out, otherwise, their conversation will surely get nowhere.

"Let me guess, you can't stop thinking about me" Saeko blurted out. She too was nervous and her brain went on autopilot and just spoke the first thing that came to her mind. However, unlike him, she was able to maintain the calmness of her voice.

"Yeah..." came Takashi's meek voice. He pounded his inner self to pulp. He hated the fact that he needed Saeko to put the words in his mouth because he cannot articulate anything coherent in his own mind.

"Why?"

_Why? That question again?_ Takashi thought and sighed. He was looking down at the table, not having the courage to turn and look at Saeko at the moment.

"Well, because I think...I-I-I'm i-i-in l-lo..." his voice and his whole body were shaking. He knew what he had to say and he knew he has to say it. But why won't the words come out smoothly just like in the movies when the leading man confesses his undying love to the leading lady, which then leads to a passionate kiss.

_I guess the leading men are usually not as cowardly as I am_, he thought bitterly.

Saeko has had enough. She helped him once but that was it.

"You don't have to force yourself Takashi" she said irritably.

"No! It's not it! I just..."

"Can't bring yourself to say it, huh?"

"No..."

"Yeah...that's what I thought" Saeko whispered and put down the utensils she was holding.

"I didn't mean 'no' as in no, I mean it's not that I am forcing myself to say it...it's just that..."

"You're not making any sense! Then what is it!" Saeko shouted. She stood up, her body was trembling in anger and frustration.

Takashi stood up as well. He wanted to tell her that he loves her and that he wants to be with her...it's that simple. But why is he finding it difficult to just say those three words?

Saeko was about to open her mouth for another retort. However, she never had the opportunity to say what she wanted to say because in a very swift movement, Takashi placed a hand on her nape and the other on her back. He pulled her close and claimed her lips.

His body moved on its own accord out of desperation and due to the desire to let her know that he loves her. He just can't make mistakes anymore.

The kiss was brief. Takashi pulled back because Saeko was unmoving and frozen to her spot. When Takashi pulled away, he saw that Saeko had a bewildered look in her eyes.

He gave her a few seconds to recover.

Saeko blinked...once...twice...thrice...before her brain started functioning again. She seems to have forgotten what transpired just moments ago. She remembered being fuming mad at the hopelessness of Takashi then her mind suddenly went blank. All her senses stopped working except for the sense of touch...of one specific part of the body. Her lips.

And as her senses slowly start to come back, she realized that suddenly her heart was beating to loud, her cheeks feels so warm, her throat feels dry and her lips were still tingling with a very familiar sensation.

Takashi's eyes softened and he said, "I'm sorry, I'm not really good with words"

"Yeah, I noticed" was her dazed response.

Takashi already gave up on a verbal confession. He needs to get the message across to her, that he loves her, as soon as possible to avoid any other blunder and misunderstanding.

Convinced that he did the right thing for the first time that night, he closed the distance between them once again, but stopped just as her lips are a breath away from his. He was giving her a choice.

A few seconds ticked away, but she still neither moved away or towards him. Takashi can feel a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek in anticipation. And when he can't wait any second longer...

"I guess the answer's no?" he whispered.

The words rang in Saeko's ear, waking her up from her daze and realizing for the first time that Takashi was just an inch from her.

Her vision blurred at the proximity so she forcefully shut her eyes.

There are a lot of things she wanted to clarify before these...intimacy. She wanted to force him to sit down and calmly talk about their situation. She preferred words rather than actions. But why can't she pull away? Why can't she push him back?

There are still a lot of questions swimming in her head...a lot of things she wanted to talk about with him...

"Stop thinking already. Just as I did" came Takashi's distant voice.

When she opened her eyes, Takashi's face was no longer there. He was standing a few feet away from her. She felt somehow disappointed.

His form was bathed in faint candle light and his eyes twinkled with sadness as she looked at her.

Saeko stared into Takashi's eyes and fell into that spell again. His eyes never lie.

He may be doing things that made her doubt his feelings for her, but his eyes never once lied to her. From the night they shared at the temple, through the days they spent at the Takagi mansion and until now at this very moment, Takashi's eyes has always looked her with adoration and... love.

She knew he was in love with her. She just wanted to hear him say it.

"I want you to say it" she said in a soft but commanding tone.

Takashi need not be told twice. He doesn't know why and how, but Saeko's voice seem to have some power over him and it made the words come out of his mouth easily...finally...

"I love you" he breathed.

Her heart almost burst out of her chest due to inexplicable happiness and so did his.

They both stood there, looking at each other lovingly before they lunged at each other and engaged into a passionate kiss. They kissed and touched each other hungrily, feeling the well hidden emotions within them break out into freedom. Their lips never parted even when Takashi pushed Saeko fiercely against the wall. His hands were all over her, confused as to where he wanted to start touching first – the small of her back to draw her body closer to his, the back of her neck so that he could deepen their kiss or on her hips to pull it up so she can wrap it around his waist. He was unsure so she did and touched all.

Saeko was feeling heat well up from within her as their tongues continued to dance. Her body was becoming more and more sensitive to his touches and she was finding it hard to breathe that she had to pull back from the kiss to let out a moan.

And as she felt Takashi's front rubbing against hers', she realized that their clothes are becoming a hindrance. It seems like Takashi shared the same thought because at that very moment, he started pulling up the hem of her tank top up her flat stomach, to her chest and then over her head.

Soon heaps of clothing found their way to the floor as Saeko and Takashi slowly made love. First standing up with Saeko against the wall, then on the sofa and lastly on the floor...

After making love more than once, they both ended up week and out of breath. They settled themselves on the living room carpet with only their naked bodies keeping them warm through the cold night.

They were both tired but were only able to briefly rest. Possibly afraid that their time alone would come to a conclusion without them knowing, so they ended up having a long conversation that lasted until dawn.

* * *

Takashi was in the middle of telling a story about his childhood when he stopped midsentence upon seeing light slowly creeping through the living room window, giving life to the previously dark and seemingly empty house.

His eyes then rested onto the face of the person beside him. She was currently yawning.

The sight of her made him smile, "good morning", he said.

"Good morning" she said in the middle of another yawn.

"I love you" he said before kissing her tenderly on the lips.

"I guess I win round 2" Saeko smirked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was able to make you say it in the end"

"That I love you?" Takashi asked with a blush.

Saeko laughed upon seeing his flushed cheeks. "Still embarrassed about saying it?" she teased, and it made him pout.

"Yes, I wanted you say those words" she continued.

"Why?"

"Just so we are clear" she said matter-of-factly.

"It's not like I'd kiss just anyone" he grumbled.

"I don't know about that" Saeko said and laid down flat on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

Takashi placed his arms on either side of her and looked down on her leering face. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Nothing"

"Hmp! By the way, you haven't responded yet"

"I thought words aren't needed anymore?"

"Just so we are clear" Takashi used her words back on her.

She stared straight into his eyes for a second, before leaning forward and saying the words she had wanted to say for the longest time "I love you".

They stared into each other's eyes...all unspoken truths finally articulated...all emotions openly expressed. No more pretenses, no more bitter lies, no more fears... just pure happiness and sweet love...

They shared another passionate kiss before Takashi lay his head on Saeko's chest. Feeling as her steady hearbeat lull him to sleep.

* * *

-End-

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading the story until the end.

After writing this chapter, I realized that I wanted to write sweet and fluffy stories about Saeko and Takashi. I'll really like this pairing and I want to imagine moments of them being like a normal couple. Will that work? I'll think about it.


	13. EPILOGUE

**Bitter Sweet Love**

Anime: High School of the Dead

Pairing: Saeko Busujima and Takashi Komuro

Disclaimer: I do not own High School of the Dead or any of its characters.

A/N: Just a little chat between Saeko and Takashi. Again, warning for OCs. But also consider that they are already a couple...^^

* * *

**EPILOGUE: Beginnings**

Takashi was able to have a short nap before Saeko woke him up, telling him it's time to leave. He grumbled, wanting to snuggle a little longer and enjoy their time alone. But his protests went on deaf ears as Saeko stood up to dress up without another word.

Looking for their clothes was a bit of a challenge so it took them a bit more time to get ready than necessary.

They were about to exit the house using the second floor window, which they used as an entrance the day before, when Takashi stopped and faced Saeko.

"Are you jealous of Rei?"

Takashi can't help but bring up the topic that he knew will irritate Saeko the most. They just had their first argument because Saeko suggested that they should keep their relationship a secret, something that Takashi doesn't agree with. They ended the discussion with Saeko being stubborn and sticking to her decision...something that made Takashi really annoyed.

"Yes" was Saeko's curt reply. "She's clearly in love with you"

"But I am in love with you" Takashi responded with a slight blush.

"But aren't you in love with her as well?"

"Not anymore. You know that. I can't believe you can still say that after what we did last night..." Takashi trailed off .

For some reason, after their confession, he was able to openly speak his mind out to Saeko without worrying or thinking too much. He's even comfortable to tease her, something that surprised Saeko at first, but was able to get used to soon enough after the very long conversation they had just moments ago.

"Stop that" Saeko commanded with a blush that would equal his'. "And besides, that doesn't answer my question"

"Are you saying that I am willing to do it with anyone?" he said, pretending to be hurt.

"That's not what I meant" Saeko pouted. She knew Takashi loves her but she still doesn't want other girls clinging onto him.

"That is why we need to let them know about our relationship. So that there are no misunderstandings" he was still determined to convince her.

"We already talked about this" Saeko said with a hint of finality, clearly wanting to end the discussion.

"Yes we did. But we didn't agree yet"

"Why are you being stubborn Takashi?"

"Because I don't understand your reasoning" he responded.

"I told you already, it's better to maintain the good relationship the group has. We are a great team now as it is, and this development between us will certainly cause some issues among some people in the group"

"You mean you and Rei?"

Saeko looked away. Why must she spell everything out to Takashi? Some things are glaringly obvious that they need not be said.

Takashi sighed at the stubborn look that Saeko has. Clearly, there is no way he could win an argument against Saeko. "Okay, fine. Let's keep it a secret **for now**. But not forever"

_Forever?_ Saeko laughed at Takashi choice of words. Keeping their secret forever is of course impossible.

"What are you worried about anyway?" Saeko asked, though she has an idea of what Takashi's thinking.

"Rei, not knowing about us, may do some things to me that will make you jealous"

"And you will entertain her? Are you threatening me?" she gave him a sharp look.

"Not really" he responded nonchalantly.

"Is it really my jealousy you're worried about? Or is it of the idea that we can't be intimate in front of them?" now it's Saeko's time to make fun of him.

Takashi blushed profusely. Of course Saeko can read him like an open book. "Let's just go" he said irritatingly, changing the subject.

"I'll find a way..." Saeko said laughing before she opened the window and stepped outside.

"Yeah...you better..." Takashi whispered grumpily, still wondering how they could keep their relationship a secret to the nosy Kohta, jealous Rei, genius Saya and love guru Sensei.

He sighed in defeat before following her out. But as he jump out the window and saw the bright sunny day, he can't help but smile and be excited of what is to come...surely there will be challenges...but still, he was happily anticipating the new beginning of hopefully a very long bitter sweet love.

* * *

_Fin (for real!)_

* * *

A/N: Thanks very much for all the faves and the reviews. Until next time! I'll think of another Saeko - Takashi story ^^


End file.
